Ex Multus Familia
by Flying-Griffins
Summary: After "Freak Nation." The residents of Terminal City discover that Max isn't the only one who has coded words in her DNA; Sandeman's plan went further. Children of X5s start giving Max more of a clue as to what exactly the coded message means. Alec/OC,M/L
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

**Ex Multus Familia**

_Chapter 1_

It was midnight in Seattle. Stars half-dimmed from light pollution glinted in the dark sky, ordinaries filed into bars for hard liquor and rants about mutie scum, and the generators hummed in Sector 7's Terminal City.

Since three weeks ago when Max and the others had put up Joshua's flag, showing their independence and reality to the rest of the world, Manticore transgenics of all types had been making their way to Terminal City. Anomalies, X-series, random projects: it seemed that every experiment affiliated with Manticore had heard about Terminal City and found its promise of protection and contact with other transgenics impossible to resist. They found a way over the barricades or through the sewers or one of the X-series picked them up when they were out in the city on covert missions to find the other transgenics.

Dalton leaned against a pile of half-rotten wooden boxes and fingered the barrel of his rifle. He was on patrol duty on the east side of Terminal City with Jaz, a female X6 who had been on his team back at Manticore, and Samson, an anomaly who had a little too much grizzly bear in his blood. Jaz was about 5'6" with muddy green eyes and dark red hair in a pixie cut to show off her barcode. She wasn't ashamed of what she was.

Furrier than Joshua and taller too, Samson had been created for deep forest and wilderness missions. He was quiet and liked to read poetry; a ragged copy of Tennyson's _In Memoriam _peeked out of the back pocket of his army pants.

Their assignment was to look out for any transgenic who wanted in and to keep out any ambitious ordinaries who got it into their heads to go vigilante-style into Terminal City. At the moment, there was an uneasy peace between the two sides of this war, but no one was sure how long that would last, not with the protests and riots that took place daily along the fence.

"When are we going to see some action?" Jaz asked. She kicked a piece of rubble, sending it skittering down the alley. "This is boring."

"This is our assignment," Dalton corrected. "You wouldn't say stuff like that back at Manticore."

"Good thing we're not at Manticore, then." Jaz had developed quite the rebellious, smart-mouth attitude since she had gotten out of Manticore. Max said she was acting out or something. Dalton just thought she was annoying.

"Look, Max gave us this mission, and we shouldn't complain about it. Good soldiers don't complain." He glanced at Jaz with dark eyes, daring her to argue.

"Dalton. Wake up. You're spouting Manticore propaganda again," she said. She spread her arms out wide, the sleeves of her too-large jacket drooping. "We're in the real world now. We can complain if we want; no one's going to punish you for it."

"It reflects poorly on the individual to complain," Samson said, his voice rough and bass. He was standing at the edge of the rooftop they were standing on, peering down at the streets below and the nearby chain link fence. "Your comrades will not enjoy your company any more for the complaints."

Jaz rolled her eyes but didn't snap anything back at the anomaly. She actually respected the big guy, even if she didn't respect Dalton.

"We could've gotten a more interesting assignment, like the ones the X5s get. Those guys think they run this place because Max is an X5 too..."

"Jaz, drop it," Dalton said, glaring at her. "Just be glad that you're being useful."

"I'd be more useful out there," Jaz said. She jerked her thumb toward the city that jeered at them beyond the chain link fence. "We could do recon or retrieval missions. You know we could; it's what we were made for. We could even pick up supplies, but they won't let us."

"We'll get to do that soon enough," Dalton said. He shoved his hand through his thick, light blond hair. Were all girls this frustrating? No, Gem wasn't, but Gem was…different. "But we've got to prove that we can do this first, so focus."

"I've proved myself." Jaz rested her hand on the revolver that was strapped to her hip, and her eyes gazed out longingly toward the city. "I've walked this fence for three weeks and cleaned out buildings and searched for random hardware and done a lot of other useless junk. I'm ready for something new."

"You are very young," Samson said. "Your experience with the real world is minimal, and there is a war now. Trust Max and Mole and the other leaders. They know what they are doing."

Jaz tossed her head and made a face, her ski-slope nose scrunching. "Yeah, about that, who made them the leaders, anyway? This isn't exactly an organized operation we're running."

"Someone has to lead us," Dalton said. He didn't like where she was going with this idea. "They were the ones who were ready for it."

"I'm just saying—"

"Don't say it."

"You can't stop me from talking or having an opinion, Dalton." Jaz scowled at him, and he saw her shift into a position from which attacking him quickly would not be difficult. Dalton responded by clenching his fist.

"Maybe I can when you're being stupid."

"At least I'm not a mindless sheep. Maybe Manticore put extra complacency in your mix."

"And maybe they put extra bitch in yours."

By the look on her face, that comment surprised her. She stepped toward Dalton, menace in her movements. "I'm going to hit you so hard your donors will feel it."

A heavy hand fell on Dalton's shoulder as he started forward to meet Jaz halfway. He really wanted to drive his clenched fist into her teeth, knock some sense into her.

"Let go," Dalton said. He tried to shrug out of Samson's grip, but the older man squeezed his shoulder. Dalton winced and remembered that Samson was a lot stronger than him. Grizzly bear DNA could give you wicked powerful muscles.

"Be silent," Samson demanded. His small, honey brown eyes were staring beyond the fence, into the city.

"What?" Jaz asked, her gaze following his.

"Do you hear it?" asked Samson.

"Hear what?"

"Shut up and listen, and maybe you'll hear it, Jaz," Dalton said. Jaz frowned at him but stayed silent. Samson had made her curious. Stepping out of Samson's hold, Dalton strained to hear whatever the anomaly had heard. He could hear an anti-transgenic protest going on somewhere, but that was probably in Swiffer, Terrence, and Campbell's patrol area. There were always protests going on up there since it was close to a main gate into Terminal.

Dalton tuned out the protest's shouting and focused on the streets to the east. There were normal city noises and then…footsteps. Someone…no…multiple someones were running toward the fence. Dalton looked up at Samson. "There are people coming."

"It's probably just a couple of X5s coming back from a shopping trip," Jaz said, "We never get anything interesting over here."

"If they are, they're not blurring," Dalton said. He walked over to the edge of the rooftop and leaned toward the east, into the wind. "They're not blurring…and someone's limping."

"Maybe they're taking their sweet time about it," Jaz replied. "Enjoying their time out of Terminal. I know I would."

"Maybe that's why they don't assign you to go out then," Dalton snapped at her.

"There is danger following them. I smell gun smoke and blood," said Samson. Samson's senses were more enhanced than the others; if he tried, he could probably smell a hotdog that was cooking in Sector 12 from where they were standing.

"They're in trouble," said Dalton. Adrenaline started pumping through his veins in anticipation of a fight. "We should help them."

"Good, we finally get to do something," Jaz said. She pulled her revolver out of its holster and leaped across the gap between the roof they were on and the nearest roof on the other side of the fence. Before Dalton or Samson even started to follow her, she began roof-hopping, heading toward the sounds of the other transgenics.

----------------

"Come on, Sidda, we're almost there," Robin said anxiously. She clutched her one-month-old Taylor closer with her left arm and pulled Sidda along with the other. Sidda wasn't in the greatest shape. Her ragged brown-blond hair was covered with dirt from a fight a few blocks back, and she had a few scrapes on her cheek and one arm. Her hoodie had disappeared during the fight, and one of her pant legs was ripped. That same leg had a bandage around the calf muscle where Sidda had gotten shot while keeping one of the street thugs away from Taylor. While they were fighting, Robin had nestled Taylor into a nearby box to try to protect the baby, but apparently one of the thugs had seen her do that. He had definitely ended up a lot worse off than Sidda.

"Go ahead without me." Sidda pulled her arm out of Robin's and paused to lean against a brick wall. She winced at the pain shooting up her leg. Getting shot in the leg wasn't normally much of a bother, but she'd been running a while on the wounded leg now. It was beginning to take its toll on her. She glanced at her stubborn friend; Robin's blue eyes were narrowed in disapproval.

"No way am I leaving you," Robin said, brushing her long blond hair out of her face and putting one hand on her hip. "You took that bullet protecting Taylor. We're not that far, and we're in a sort of empty area. We'll get over just fine." She glanced around to confirm her confident statement. There really weren't that many people around them. Yet. She could hear the sector police who were following them, but at least she didn't hear anything ahead. Except…

"What's that?" Sidda said, hazel eyes snapping open as she straightened up. She'd heard the same thing Robin had. The two glanced at each other and sighed simultaneously. They really didn't want to have to get in another fight again.

"I really should get a sling made for Taylor if I'm gonna keep carrying her around," Robin muttered as she stripped her leather jacket off. She wrapped it around Taylor and then, glancing around once, set her down carefully. "If shaking wasn't so bad for you, I'd just keep holding you, but for now mommy's gotta do some fighting," Robin cooed to the baby.

Sidda rolled her eyes and moved away from the wall so she could better listen and look for any signs of where their attackers would be coming from. Ordinaries weren't normally this silent. She could still hear the distant voices of the ordinaries who had already been chasing them, and she could hear minor sounds nearby. And there it was again…that slight scuffling sound of feet carefully movie across pavement and metal.

Sidda held up her hand to indicate the signal three people to Robin. Robin nodded once in agreement and then crouched low and moved forward into position. They'd been working together so much in the last year or so that they hardly needed hand signals anymore. Fighting together was almost instinctive for the two.

The sound of footsteps on metal. A red-headed female suddenly stepped around the corner of the building on a fire escape a couple stories above them. She leveled her revolver at them. "Stop there and identify yourselves," she ordered.

"Jaz!" a voice cried from behind her. "Don't!"

Sidda and Robin weren't about to stop and find out if this Jaz was a friendly or not though. She had pointed her gun at them, and that was all the warning they needed.

Robin blurred up the steps while Sidda darted underneath to start climbing up the back of the fire escape. The red-head tried to fire at both of them but failed to hit either one. Robin and Sidda were both on her in a moment. Sidda punched Jaz in the back while Robin engaged her from the front. When Jaz turned to deal with Sidda, the older girl grabbed her wrist and twisted, forcing Jaz to drop her gun. Robin swept up the discarded weapon. It fit perfectly in her long fingers, just like all of those Manticore-issued guns back in her assassin days. The only thing missing was the silencer.

"Hold it," Robin ordered, pointing the gun at Jaz. Sidda twisted the girls' arms behind her back.

"Bitch," Jaz snarled. Sidda yanked Jaz's arms tighter, a malicious grin on her face. She didn't take kindly to being called names, but she wasn't going to waste her breath on a comeback for this tart.

"Wait, wait!" Robin swung the gun around to point it at the young, blond-haired boy who stepped around the corner with his hands held up. He was immediately followed by a huge bear-like man who Robin recognized as a North American Deep-forest Unit or a NADU as some Manticore personnel called them.

"Oh." Robin lowered the gun slightly, though not all the way. She glanced at Sidda who used one hand to push back some of the fringe hair of Jaz's pixie-cut away from the back of her neck.

"X-series," Sidda announced, but she didn't let go of Jaz.

"If you're transgenics, why did you attack us?" Robin demanded. The boy had the grace to blush and look slightly uncomfortable, but he also gave Jaz an accusing glance.

"I didn't attack them," Jaz said defensively, "I just asked them to identify themselves."

"And you pointed a gun at us," Sidda reminded her.

"Jaz does not always think before she acts," the NADU said, giving the girl a stern look. The fur over his brows crinkled in all directions as he frowned at her, and Jaz managed to look slightly ashamed. She glanced down at her feet before looking back up.

"I was just trying to make sure they were who they claimed to be," Jax muttered. She suddenly twisted her arms, trying to get out of Sidda's grasp, but Sidda only tightened her hold.

"Look, you know who we are so let me go!" Jaz exclaimed, trying to twist around so she could look directly at Sidda.

"Maybe if you say please," Sidda said. "In a very apologetic way." Her eyes became heavy-lidded, which made her look sleepy, but Robin knew what that really meant. Sidda was very angry and annoyed at the moment, and she wouldn't be in the mood to be nice or merciful to the girl.

"Sidda, I need to get Taylor," Robin said, glancing back anxiously over her shoulder. The ordinaries were getting closer. Sidda sighed, knowing what Robin meant. If Sidda insisted on keeping a hold of Jaz's arms, she'd be caught in a corner by the other two if Robin left.

"Fine," Sidda muttered. She gave Jaz's arms an extra yank for good measure; the girl needed some discipline. Then she quickly moved around to Jaz's front, where she could keep an eye on everybody. Robin handed Sidda the gun and back away toward the stairs. "Go get her," Sidda said to Robin, not taking her eyes off of the three in front of her as she leveled the gun at them.

Robin blurred down the stairs, and she was back only a few moments later. "The ordinaries are coming, we need to move," Robin said anxiously. She ignored the not-so-subtle glances from Jaz and the other two at her baby. X5 babies from the breeding program couldn't be that abnormal in Terminal City; there was no need to stare.

"Look, I'm Dalton," the young boy said, stepping forward. "Me and Jaz are X6s. Samson here is obviously transhuman, and we all live in Terminal City." He hesitated, shifting from foot to foot. "I'm guessing that's where you're going. Let us help you over there before the ordinaries come." He glared a reprimand at Jaz. "We're here to help people like you, we promise." Jaz pursed her lips but didn't say anything in response.

Dalton stuffed his hands into his overcoat while waiting for a reply, and Sidda was suddenly struck by how young he looked wearing the huge, oversized coat with the sleeves rolled up, baggy pants, and a shaggy haircut. He seemed like one of those kids in books who had seen way too much death and reality for how old they were. It reminded Sidda of how much Manticore had screwed them all over. She hesitated, glancing at Robin again.

Robin shrugged; she didn't like the Jaz-girl, but the other two seemed like they were ok and could probably keep the Jaz girl under control.

"We need to go now," Samson said suddenly. To him, the ordinaries' voices were loud and clear, and he could hear their anger and hostility.

"All right, lead on," Sidda said. She gasped when Samson bent down and grabbed her up in his arms. "Hey! I can walk," she protested, pushing against his broad chest. "It's not that bad."

"You can't walk as fast as me," he said, "I can smell that you're wound. You don't need to walk anymore." Sidda frowned resentfully, but she didn't argue. She knew Samson was being logical.

"Hand me Taylor," Sidda commanded Robin. Since she wasn't going to be able to do much fighting anyway, she might as well hold on to the baby so that Robin had her hands free. Robin hesitated, and Sidda gave her an exasperated look. Robin could be ridiculously possessive of Taylor at the worst of times.

"Be careful with her," Robin warned, placing the baby into Sidda's arms. Taylor whimpered a little as if protesting being out of her mom's arms one too many times that day. Taylor had been relatively quiet so far in Seattle, only breaking into full-out screaming during the gun fight a few miles away. But even transgenic babies had their limitations, and Taylor was definitely reaching hers. Even as Sidda was cushioning the baby in her arms, Taylor's face scrunched up as if she was readying herself for another screeching fit. Sidda gently tapped her on the nose.

"You better hush, Taylor. You can cry all you want when we're in Terminal City, but now is not the time," Sidda scolded her. Taylor's eyes opened wide, and she stared quietly at Sidda as if she understood her.

"Ha!" Sidda said with satisfaction. Robin couldn't claim that Sidda didn't have a way with babies now.

"Ready?" Jaz asked, watching the transfer of the baby with a sort of annoyed impatience.

"Yes, let's go," Sidda said. They immediately took off running, Samson's huge footsteps pounding on the pavement.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

**Ex Multus Familia**

_Chapter 2_

Seth, an X5 assassin who specialized in tactical strategy and medical assistance, who had been in charge of his own unit of super-soldiers, who had been on seven successful solo missions for Manticore, stared dully at the myriad TV screens that lined Terminal City's command center. Many of them displayed feeds from the cameras set up around the city, and others showed news stations that had taken to reporting 24/7 on the "mutant crisis."

Bored with a passionate speech by some military analyst, Seth glanced over the desk at Max who was sitting at the table on the level below him. She had a number of genetics books spread out around her on the tabletop, and she was writing in a black-and-white composition book.

Perched on another metal stool beside Max was a scientifically-inclined X4 transgenic named Adenine, or just Nine for short. The two women were debating how Max's Logan-targeting virus could be decoded and destroyed; it was what they talked about almost every night when most of Terminal City had settled down or at least retreated to their apartments for the night.

Nearby, Mole was smoking a cigar and watching a tiny portable TV set, his feet resting on a nearby wooden stool. Every now and then he would let out a chuckle and a huff of smoke would drift into the air and hang around his head.

On the other side of the room, a couple of transhumans, a cocky X6, and Alec were arm-wrestling to pass the time. Seth rolled his eyes as the hard-skinned transhuman sent the X6 flying across the room, much to the amusement of Alec and the other, pointy-eared and buck-toothed transhuman. If he hadn't had monitor-duty, Seth would have been in bed, getting some sleep to prepare for the next full day of work and negotiations. Arm-wrestling seemed like a waste of energy these days.

Something flickered on one of the screens on his upper right, and he glanced up at it. Hmm, that was Camera Eight. It was in the eastern edge of T.C., pointed out toward the city. It was normally a peaceful area of the city (if there was such a thing), so a small patrol of three was set up there. Seth watched as the patrol moved closer to the camera by coming up to the fence.

Seth leaned in, and his eyes zeroed in on the extra person running with the patrol and the second unknown figure in the big transhuman, Samson's, arms. There was no sound, but he could see Dalton's mouth moving and Jaz shouting something as she turned around, her revolver in her hand. At the far corner of the screen, sector police were following the crew, the muzzles of their guns flashing with each shot.

"Trouble over on the east side," Seth announced.

"What kind of trouble?" Max asked as she slipped into combat-mode. Seth could see the change come over her as she changed from studying genetics to dealing with a dangerous, potentially deadly situation.

"Sector police are chasing Patrol Seven," Seth said as he watched the screen. "It looks like Dalton's group picked up a couple of new citizens, and the police aren't happy about it."

"Well, let's go welcome the new guys," Mole said. He grabbed his shotgun and pumped it before laying it over his shoulder.

"We won't get there in time," Max said, "Not if it's Dalton's group." She stood up, the metal stool squealing against the concrete as she pushed it back, and walked over to the observation station.

"They're almost through the fence now," Seth said. He glanced at the screen just as the small group of transgenics leaped over the chain link fence, bullets whizzing past their heads. The sector police stopped at the chain link fence as if it was electrified, but they kept firing at the retreating transgenics.

"Is anyone injured?" Max asked as she leaned over Seth's shoulder, narrowing her eyes at the screen.

"I don't know, but Samson's carrying someone. Looks like a girl." Seth glanced from the person in Samson's arms to the other unknown that was running with them. Long, curly light-colored hair, white skin…the way she moved…she looked familiar. Maybe she was someone one from Seth's unit…

"So, Max," Alec said as he joined them, "are you going to go play an unnecessary knight-in-shining armor or are you going to let them handle it?" He leaned against one of the tables and crossed his arms over his chest.

Max shot him a glare, and Seth wondered briefly how much goading it would take for Max to finally murder Alec.

"We're going to go make sure they make it to the command center," Max said.

"Who's we?" Alec asked as he pushed away from the table.

"You, me, Seth, and Mole," she said. Seth tried not to grimace as the transhuman's name was called. He was fine with transhumans and everything, but he hated Mole's cynical attitude toward humans and life in general.

"You heard the cat, let's get going," Mole said, stomping toward the entrance. Seth grabbed his semi-automatic and turned to follow the others.

Alec clapped Seth on the shoulder as they walked after Max. "Don't you love the late night excitement?"

"Oh, yeah, it's a joy," Seth said, rolling his eyes. Alec grinned and zipped up his jacket against the chilly May night air.

----------------------------------

It was pretty easy to find their new guests. There was a lot of shouting and gunfire to guide them toward the area where Samson, Dalton, and Jaz had been patrolling. "We haven't run into them yet," Max said anxiously.

"Well, maybe they were just a little bit delayed," Alec said sarcastically. Max tossed him an annoyed look, but there was probably some truth behind what he was saying. They could see the fence now, and there was practically a riot going on there. Zooming their vision in, they could see people beating at the fence and throwing rocks at it, a few climbing it. There were several sector police trying to control the crowd, but most of the police were focused on firing their guns through the fence. It was a ridiculous mess.

"At least we know where they are now," Mole said, watching the direction of the gunfire. Apparently the group hadn't managed to make it far enough for the police to lose track of where they were.

"Damn you all!" Seth chuckled as they heard Jaz's familiar, angry voice. A couple sector police went down, and Max shook her head.

"Come on, let's take care of this before anyone else gets hurt," she said, quickening her pace.

Mole glanced at her as he jogged on her right. "They're just humans, none of us has gotten hurt," he said.

"I said anyone," Max snapped, "I mean Ordinaries too. It doesn't help us if we start killing them."

"At least there're a few less Ordinaries in the world."

"Mole…"

"Max, over here!" Dalton's voice sounded fairly calm. Good. That meant the group had at least gotten over the fence with minimal damage.

"We're coming!" Max yelled back. Max glanced at Mole, "You and I will go help Jaz with cover," she said, "Alec, Seth, if you could take care of the others…"

"Got it," Seth said, nodding as he veered slightly to the right. Alec started to protest; he'd much rather get in some good fighting action than babysit a bunch of newbies.

Seth cuffed his shoulder. "Come on," he said, "Mole and Max have got it covered." Mole would take care of the fighting part of it, like always. And like always, Max would try to negotiate. Lately, that hadn't been working out so well.

Seth and Alec ducked into one of the alleys behind a row of buildings then followed it for a few hundred feet. "Ugh, I hate this place sometimes," Alec said, tracking a rat as it scurried across their path. He shared a common hatred with the other X-5s for the little monsters. One of their first goals was to eradicate Terminal City of rats, never mind if there were supposedly "more important" things to do. Oak Street was pretty much clean of them already, although rats from other areas kept trying to invade.

Seth rolled his eyes and hoisted his weapon higher as they turned off the alley toward where the group was supposed to be waiting. He stopped as he caught sight of them.

"Man, what's up?" Alec asked, stopping to look back at Seth. He peered at the group. "Come on, we need to go get them." Seth nodded and followed Alec, choosing not to say what had startled him. Though his outward demeanor was calm, inside he was rapidly shifting through old memories.

It was definitely her. He would recognize her face anywhere. They had been breeding partners back in Manticore. And a little more... to him at least. He had never been sure if she had reciprocated his feelings or not. He stopped behind Alec when they got to the group and let the other guy do the talking. He kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to look at him. He wanted to see if she recognized him too. Because unless she was a twin, he knew it had to be her. What had she called herself? Robin. Yes, that was it. Like the bird.

"Ok, guys, we're here to get you settled in Terminal City," Alec said. "We'll take you back to the command center to check you in, then designate you some quarters." He nodded at Samson and Dalton, "You two can go see if Max and Mole need any help."

"This one's hurt," Samson said, pointing to one of the X5s who was determinedly trying to stand upright with the support of the wall. She glared at Samson for calling her weakness out.

"And there's a baby," Dalton added. Alec and Seth both looked at the small bundle in Robin's arms for the first time. The baby was being awfully well-behaved; it hadn't made a sound since they had arrived.

"Is the baby yours?" Seth asked Robin. An unnecessary question, but he had to know. It was strange to think that Robin had been able to move on from her Manticore life so fast, find someone she could love enough to conceive a child with. It never even entered his head to consider rape or anything else. X5s just didn't get raped.

Robin finally looked at him, and her eyes widened just a fraction before she nodded. That small moment let Seth know one thing for sure—she had recognized him too. Dalton and Samson headed off toward where the commotion was still going on, and Alec started ushering the others, herding them toward the command center.

"Do you want me to carry the baby?" Seth asked as an excuse to talk to Robin.

Robin gave him a strange look. "I had the baby, I think I can handle her," she said.

"I know, I was just offering," he said, smiling at her defensiveness. Trust an X5 to be insulted by an offer of help.

"So this is Terminal City," Sidda said in a non-committal way as she looked around, "the land of opportunity."

Alec snorted. "Is that what they're calling it now?"

Sidda chuckled. "Well, not exactly. But that's what all the transgenics are acting like it is." She looked around again, taking note of the grimy streets and run-down buildings. There weren't many people this close to the outer edge of the city, and it looked like the inhabitants hadn't bothered to fix it up much because of that. "Just what I was picturing," she said with a small smile.

Alec shrugged. "Well, at least you're relatively safe here."

"Yeah, until the government realizes that all the transgenics are gathering into a nice, big target for them."

Alec laughed. "True. Hey, I'm Alec, by the way," he said, sticking out his hand.

Sidda raised an eyebrow as she shook his hand. "Sidda." She was surprised by his friendliness. After months of hiding her identity, it seemed strange. But maybe most of the transgenics in Terminal City were like that. It would be nice, to live in the open like that, to not have to worry about her barcode or seeming unusually strong.

Alec glanced down at Sidda's leg as she fell into her limping walk again. "We noticed Samson carrying you on the vids, do you want me…"

"No," Sidda cut him off. "That was because we had to make a quick run into the city. As long as we can go slowly, I'm good."

"We can take as long as you want," Alec said, slowing his pace a bit. Sidda narrowed her eyes at him and deliberately kept up the same pace. "Fine," Alec said, laughing as he matched his pace to hers again, "Stubborn, aren't you?"

"Typically, yes," Sidda said, smiling slightly.

--------------------------

They took the long way back to the command center, avoiding any path that would line them up with a clear view of the gate. Alec kept his hand on his gun and looked over at Seth. The guy was still staring at the other girl, the one with the kid. It sort of looked like how Krit ogled at Syl or Everett watched Mona: the whole undeniable, unavoidable mate thing. Alec smirked; he would leave Seth to figure that one out.

"So, what brought you guys to the land of milk and honey?" asked Alec.

"Sweet tooths," Sidda replied without missing a beat.

"Shouldn't that be sweet teeth?" Alec said. If she was going to be clever, then he'd match her.

Sidda smirked back at him. "Doesn't that sound awkward?"

"At least it's grammatically correct," Alec said.

"Like you care about that," Seth said. Alec tossed him a mock hurt look, but Seth ignored him.

"We sort of thought it'd be nice to be with our own kind," Robin said. She hugged the baby tighter and smiled down at her. "Besides, people were starting to get suspicious what with all the transgenic hype going on around here."

"What's her name?" Seth asked, nodding toward the bundle of blankets.

Robin stared back at him, and he could see the conflicting emotions in her clear blue eyes before she grudgingly answered him. "Taylor."

"Tailor like a guy that fixes clothes?" Alec asked, amusement in his voice, "Did you guys live over a tailor's shop or something?"

"Taylor can be a girl's name," Robin said defensively.

"It's a good name," Seth said. He still hadn't gotten a proper look at the baby, but his natural curiosity was getting to him. He wanted to know how old she was... He wanted to know who the father was. But by the way Robin sending scowls at him, he was unsure if she would ever let him see the baby.

"It is a good name," Robin said as if reassuring herself.

"I was just saying that some of the X5 girls chose the weirdest names for their kids," Alec said, "I mean, we've got kids named everything from FashionChic to Pepperjack to Bartholomew." He rolled his eyes. "Nothing's more creative than an X5 female."

"Yeah, you know, Robin almost named Taylor CoCo Chanel," Sidda said.

"Sidda, I didn't!" exclaimed Robin, "I never…you're awful."

Alec shrugged. "At least it's a name."

"I wasn't'!" Robin exclaimed, indignant.

Sidda grinned. "She wasn't. Some of us know better than to name a kid Motorcade; we _were_ trained for interaction with the rest of humanity."

"Not that we get to use those skills a lot nowadays," Robin sighed. Seth could see the sadness in her face, and he could guess what she was thinking; it was what they were all thinking. They lived in a world where no one wanted them, where almost everyone who wasn't one of them was out to kill them or wanted someone else to kill them. The government who had funded their creation didn't even want to acknowledge their existence. His dark blue eyes flicked toward the bundle of blankets that was Taylor. It was a hard world to be born into if you were different.

"Have you guys had any breakthroughs at all with the humans?" Sidda asked. "Any sort of compromise come up yet?"

"Ones that don't involve us being blown to kingdom-come or becoming science projects? No, not really," Alec said, a wry expression on his face.

"Well, at least we have options," Sidda said, making Alec give a snort of laughter.

"Were you in Seattle, or did you travel from somewhere else?" Seth asked abruptly. Robin didn't look like she was going to answer him, so he looked over at Sidda.

"When Manticore bit the dust, we went to Hoquiam, over on the seashore," Sidda said. Robin shot her a glare, but Sidda acted like nothing was wrong.

"I'm heard of it," Seth said, "They pride themselves on being the "Friendliest City in Washington," don't they?"

"Yes," Robin said shortly.

"The liars," Sidda added, bitterness in her voice.

"I'm guessing the friendliest part only applies to Ordinaries?" Alec asked.

Robin nodded. "The only transgenic in town besides us was an X3 with a little too much cat in his DNA. His name was Ty. He had cat's eyes and moved too gracefully, like a dancer, but he was normal besides that. He was a trained medic, a night field-ops. He was always inviting us over for dinner and checking in on us. He made the best hot wings from scratch…" She stepped over a stack of piping, and Taylor whimpered. Seth lifted his head at the little noise; it was the first noise the baby had made all night. Robin shushed her. "Sorry, she's hungry."

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Seth said, his eyes on Robin's face. Whenever she looked at the baby, the stress and anxiety melted away, and she looked peaceful, nothing like a Manticore soldier.

"That's good," Robin cooed at Taylor and then looked up as if just remembering the rest of them were there. "But Ty…A couple weeks ago, when news about Terminal City was starting to reach us from Seattle, he saved a kid from getting hit by a car. The parents were really grateful, but then people started asking questions, wondering how he had moved so fast." Robin gave a sad smile and rocked Taylor. "I mean, he grabbed the kid and got to the sidewalk before the car could even put on its brakes. They could guess what he was."

"They lynch-mobbed his house that night," Sidda said. Her fists were clenched, and her hazel eyes were hard. "Friendliest Town in Washington my ass. They broke into his house, dragged him into the street and then doused him with gasoline. I got there just when they set him on fire. He didn't even put up a fight, he just screamed…"

Alec could see Biggs in his mind, fun-loving, lively Biggs, strung up like a puppet, post-mortem bruises turning into a purple and blue mosaic across his skin. "Trust me. I know how much that sucks." Sidda looked over at him, evaluating, and then nodded. They had all lost friends in this war.

"We left town a few days after that and made our way here," Robin said, "Anything was better than Hoquiam, even Seattle."

"I'm not exactly sure of that that was a good idea," Seth said, "You should have kept going on to Canada. It's safer there."

Robin frowned at him. "We'd rather be here. It's better to make a stand as one then scatter ourselves across the country."

"Max is going to like you," Alec said. He locked his thumbs into his pockets. "A lot. You seem to think the same way."

"The whole mindset of get everyone together so they only have to shoot a couple missiles instead of a lot must be catching," Sidda said. She held up her hands as Robin gasped her name in anger. "Sorry, sorry, kidding. But we should do something so they won't…do something…bad back…"

"Sidda?" Robin asked, quickening her pace to get to her friend's side.

Sidda stumbled forward, tripping over nothing, her eyelids blinking rapidly. Alec reached out and snatched her before she could hit the ground, his hands tightening around her upper arms. "Hey, you okay?" He looked down at the bandage around her right calf. Dark red blood had soaked through the makeshift bandage and was starting to run down her leg. "How much blood have you lost?"

"Mmm, what, no, 'm fine," she said, trying to pull away from him. She fell again, like her legs couldn't hold her up anymore, but Alec had her. He slipped one arms under her knees and one under her shoulders and pulled her into his arms.

"Somehow, I'm thinking that's not entirely true," he said. He looked over at Seth who was trained specifically for this sort of thing. "Seth…"

Seth walked over to them and looked over Sidda. She was breathing rapidly and losing color; her pulse sped beneath his fingers. He peeled the bandage back from her leg and saw that there was no exit wound. The bullet was still in her leg. "She needs to go the infirmary ASAP. She'll need a blood transfusion, and Gray needs to get the bullet out."

"It's still in there?" Robin asked, surprise in her eyes. "She said it had gone through."

"You didn't…need to worry about it," Sidda said, unapologetic as she looked over at Robin with heavily-lidded eyes.

"You're so annoying!" Robin exclaimed. "You can't just keep stuff like that to yourself!"

"I did, though."

"That's because you thrive off being infuriating."

"Isn't it fun?"

"How about you two fight later, and we go to the infirmary now?" Alec suggested.

"I'll be fine, I don't need to go," Sidda said, "I've gone through worse."

"I can bet, but right now, the medic says you need the infirmary, so that's where we're going." He looked over at Robin. "Can you blur with the kid?"

"Yeah, that's no problem," Robin said, clutching at Taylor. "Let's go."

The three of them took off, racing through Terminal City at a breakneck speed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 3

Word of the attack at the east wall had spread throughout the city, and there were transgenics, almost all holding weapons, everywhere on their way to the infirmary. Robin had never seen so many different kinds of transgenics in the same place, and there were so many of them. It was sort of hard to imagine a city like this surviving, but somehow they were making do.

The infirmary was in the bottom floor of some old hospital building close to what Seth pointed out as the command center. Robin wasn't so sure of Seth yet. She didn't know what to make of the father of her child. He seemed nice, but then, lots of people seemed nice and turned out to be not so kind; she knew that from experience. She would have to wait and see about him.

A tall, ruddy-haired transgenic with appraising but warm eyes was waiting for them at the door. "I'm guessing our first patient is the young lady in your arms, Alec?"

"Good guess," Alec said. The transgenic nodded and led them inside. Robin was surprised at how well they had cleaned this building, but then again, it was an infirmary. Places like this had to be clean.

The tiles were clean and shining beneath electric lights powered by generators. People in scrubs were walking in and out of various rooms that surrounded the central area, and the whole place smelled of antiseptic. The sterile smell brought back unwelcomed memories of Manticore labs for Robin; she remembered all too vividly people in white lab coats leaning over her, saws, needles, and scalpels in their hands. Sometimes they knocked her out, sometimes they didn't. Robin shook her head and tried to ignore the smell.

With a couple more medics following them, the transgenic doctor hurried them into the nearest room but halted Robin and Seth. "Seth, if you don't mind, could you take a look at Ms.…"

"Robin, the baby's name is Taylor, and her name's Sidda, and I'd really like to stay with her," Robin said, peering over his shoulder into the room. Someone motioned for Alec to put Sidda down on the table, and he set her down gently and backed away.

The transgenic doctor nodded. "I understand, but I think we'll work better in a less crowded room. Seth will take care of you, and I promise to help Sidda as much as I can." He turned around and started to walk back into the room.

"Can't anyone besides him look at us?" she asked, her eyes flashing to Seth. He looked hurt, but it also seemed like he understood.

"I think everyone else is busy," the doctor said, "Sorry, but Seth will have to do." With that, he turned around and walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

Seth and Robin stared at each other for a silent moment, unsure of what to do. Taylor let out a small wail, and that seemed to get them both moving. Seth nodded down a hallway. "There should be an open room down there. I can look you both over there."

"We're fine, she's just hungry and sleepy," Robin said, rocking Taylor, "It's been a long day."

"The bruises on you don't really scream okay to me," Seth said, pointing at her arms. Purple bruises from the fight she had gotten into earlier were starting to show up.

Robin let out a sigh. "Fine, but no blood work, understand?"

"Sounds good to me."

Seth led her to an empty room with a bassinet. She gave it a questioning look, and he shrugged. "This is usually where X5 moms stay after they give birth. The bassinet was Max's touch. She likes stealing difficult things."

"I'm glad for her habits, then," Robin said. She laid Taylor down in the bassinet and hummed a couple bars of a lullaby. The baby was drowsy and it didn't take much for her to fall asleep. She drifted off quickly, but Robin knew she would be awake soon and hungry.

"That doctor…"

"His name is Gray, like the text book, Gray's Anatomy," said Seth. He patted the bed, and she sat down on the corner of it. He shined a flashlight in her eyes, and she followed it without orders. Manticore had trained her well as a child.

"Is he a good doctor?"

"If you're wondering if Sidda's going to be okay, then yes, she will be," Seth said. He flicked off the flashlight and put it back in the drawer he had gotten it from. He took her wrist in his and measured her pulse, watching the clock on the wall. "He's a good guy, too. Calm in emergency situations, and he's good with patients even if he isn't good with everyone else."

"So, she'll be okay with him?" Robin asked. Seth looked up at her and nodded.

"She'll be perfectly fine. Besides, Gray will probably have Alec stay to donate blood, so if Gray did do something, which he never would, Sidda will be fine," Seth said.

"Good," Robin said. There was silence for a few moments as Seth went about checking her vitals.

"Mmm. You guys seem well-supplied around here," Robin said, trying to take her mind off of worrying about her friend. "I noticed a lot of equipment when we came in. You've been busy." Seth smiled as he took her blood pressure.

"Yeah, medical supplies were the first things we stocked up on," he said. The blood pressure cuff hissed as he let the air back out of it. "We've got the essentials and then a lot of neonatal equipment. We're still trying to get the X-ray machine to work again."

"Wait, why do you have neonatal equipment?" she asked, her curiosity rising.

"There were a lot of pregnant X5s when we first started, and there still are quite a few," he said. "And now there's some pregnant X6s because of heat." A faint embarrassed blush colored his cheeks, and Robin looked away. Maybe he had taken up with some of the other women when they were in heat. And that wouldn't bother her because he wasn't attached to her. He was just Taylor's father, he probably didn't even want a kid.

Robin brushed her fingers across her forehead, and Seth saw dried blood around a shallow cut. He had noticed it while they were walking back, but what with them trying to get back to command without getting shot, he hadn't had time to say anything about it.

"Here, let me take a look at that," Seth said, reaching out toward Robin's forehead. She batted his hand away and frowned at him.

"It's all right, I can barely feel it," she said. Knowing that she was an X5, he knew that the cut was not a big deal, but she could almost be ignoring the pain.

"It's stopped bleeding, but you should at least let me clean it up," he said. He picked up a cloth and ran it under some cold water from the sink in the corner. Picking up a first aid kit, he walked back toward her. She leaned away from him as he approached.

"Give me the stuff, and I'll clean it." She held out her hand for the cloth, but he pulled it out of her reach.

"Are you trained in field med-care?" he asked.

"Not really, but I'm perfectly capable-"

"Well I am trained, so let me help you," he said, interrupting her. She closed her mouth and frowned at him but didn't move away as he came toward her with the cloth again. He dabbed at the small wound, gently washing away the blood. Her nearness made it hard to breathe, and he didn't know why. He hadn't seen her in at least nine months, and it wasn't like they had been truly romantically connected at Manticore.

"So…" Robin said. She splayed her hands out on the table and looked at him, blue meeting blue. "Are you still calling yourself X5-139, or are you going by what that doctor called you, Seth?"

She had remembered his designation. Had she thought about him since that night? "I'm Seth nowadays," he said, "Max named me after one of her brothers."

"That's sort of an honor, isn't it?" Robin said.

"I consider it one," Seth said, a soft smile on his face. Max had said that he reminded her after Seth, one of her self-sacrificing brothers, and she thought that he would like the name. He had.

"It doesn't need stitches," Seth said as he set down the cloth, "You should be fine with a band-aid."

"I told you it wasn't serious," Robin said, brushing her long hair back over her shoulders. Her scent wafted through the air, and Seth paused, struck by how just the smell of her effected him. Maybe there was more to this breeding program thing than he had thought.

------------------------

Sidda didn't want Alec to put her down, but she couldn't imagine begging for him not to either. She was injured, and she needed medical assistance, but she didn't feel like she needed to be here. She blinked and cringed as the doctor walked over and pulled the large medical light over her, his eyes glancing at the exposed wound in her leg. One of the medics, the woman with the dark hair in a strict ponytail, had already cut the bandage away.

"Hello, I'm Gray," said the doctor. He voice was deep and soothing, but Sidda felt hot panic rising in her. One medic, a rather handsome X5 male, was hooking her up to a vitals monitor that seemed to be working too fast while the woman snipped the rest of her pants leg away. "Do you know where you are?"

"Somewhere I really don't need to be," Sidda said, trying to push away from the table. His strong hand fell on her shoulder, and there was sympathy in his dark brown eyes.

"We're not going to hurt you, I promise," he said. "We just want to make you better."

"Yeah, I've heard that before, back at Manticore," Sidda said, "They always said that. Right before they hurt you."

"This isn't Manticore," Gray said, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We won't hurt you."

"And if this was Manticore, the facilities would be a hell of a lot better," Alec put in from where he was standing in the corner. Sidda gave a faint chuckle, and Gray noticed.

"Alec, if you could stick around, I think we'll need you for a blood transfusion," Gray said, his eyes looking over at the young man. Alec nodded and pulled off his jacket, tossing it on a metal stool.

"Anything for a pretty girl," he said, smirking over at Sidda. She rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

"Don't try that with me," she said, "I'm a flirt, so I've seen enough of your kind."

"And what's my kind?" he asked, eyebrows raising.

She looked over at him. She knew he was keeping her distracted, and she was grateful for it. "Mmm, sorta cute, confident, snarky boy usually equals a womanizer. And don't start humming that awful pre-Pulse song."

"Sorta cute? And a womanizer?" Alec asked, smirking to himself. "We just met, and you're calling me a womanizer? Strong words, shortie."

"Yeah, well, I can sorta tell—ah!" Sidda jerked and forced herself not to scream as Gray prodded the wound. "Was that really necessary?" she muttered as she recovered from the shock of pain. She ran a hand down her thigh, trying to encourage the muscles in her legs to calm themselves and unclench.

"Sorry," Gray said, smiling apologetically, "I was just trying to determine the exact nature-"

"Gunshot," she said, "Isn't that all you need to know?"

"It's a start, yes," Gray was fiddling around with something out of her range of sight, and a moment later he turned around holding a very large needle. "We'll clean it of course, but we need to give your body some help fighting off any bacteria since the wound's been there a while." He lowered the needle toward Sidda, and she visibly blanched.

"Is that really necessary?" If Alec hadn't been standing to the side of the table, she probably would have fallen off from her rapid scoot away from the doctor.

"This may or may not comfort you, but it's no worse than anything they gave us at Manticore," Gray said firmly, taking her arm in a strong grip. Sidda glared at him and bit her lip as the needle entered her skin. She'd always hated needles; she thought when she left Manticore that it would be a long time before she had to see them again.

"If you wouldn't go and get shot, you wouldn't have to deal with them," Alec said teasingly, as if reading her mind. Then again, Sidda's body language was probably giving her away.

"Yeah, well, tell that to Taylor. I'm sure she'd appreciate that sort of mindset," Sidda wasn't sure how much of that Alec understood; her teeth were still gritted together from the pain.

"What is it with female X5s and their need to be self-sacrificing?" Alec asked Gray as he sat down in a nearby chair. Gray started readying Alec for the transfusion. Sidda sighed audibly at the thought of more needles entering her body. A blood transfusion was one of the worst since it meant a needle in her body for an extended period of time, sending a foreign liquid into her system.

Sidda closed her eyes as the technician cleaned up her wound in preparation for the removal of the bullet. The antiseptic stung slightly, but Sidda knew it was nothing compared to what would come when Gray started digging around in her leg. Sidda heard Gray move to her side, and she mentally prepared herself. It wasn't too bad as long as she isolated the injury, mentally pushed it away. She'd already been doing that ever since she'd been hit. She was surprised and appreciative to feel a warm hand cover hers. She knew instinctively that it was Alec's. Somehow she hadn't expected such a caring gesture to come from the snarky X5.

Minutes passed, and finally Gray removed the irritating bullet. The sting of antiseptic was back, but this time it was welcomed as the mark of the end of the surgery.

'Okay, now for the stitches…" Sidda sighed. It was turning into a long day.

---------------------------------------------

"Is Sidda ok?" Robin asked as she sat down in the chair across from the desk Max was perched on. She had recognized Max without anyone telling Robin who she was. Robin had had to memorize Max's face over and over again as one of the traitors who had left Manticore. Although all those left behind at Manticore had suffered for it, Robin had privately applauded the twelve escapees. She would've done the same as them, given the opportunity.

"I don't know yet, I just got in," Max said. She tossed a random knickknack from hand to hand. "But I'm sure she'll be fine. I hear she's under Gray's care. He's one of our best."

"Good," Robin said, though she didn't relax much. She was fairly confident that Sidda would be fine since it had only been a leg wound, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she saw Sidda for herself.

Max was staring at Robin curiously, and Robin shifted a bit. "Um, Seth said I needed to see you for housing?"

"Oh, yes," Max blinked as if coming out of some sort of daydream. "Sorry. I was just admiring the kid. Quiet little thing," she said, smiling gently at Taylor.

Robin warmed to Max immediately. "Oh yes, she's wonderfully behaved for her age. Plus she's happy to have finally been fed," Robin chuckled a little as Taylor left out a soft, contented little snoring sound.

"Do you mind if I ask who the father is?" Max asked as she moved the blanket back a little so that she could stroke Taylor's soft, downy hair.

"Well…" Robin hesitated.

"Oh, if you don't want to say, that's fine," Max said hurriedly, but Robin shook her head.

"Not, it's ok. Just please don't well anyone else." She kissed Taylor's forehead. "Her father and I were breeding partners back at Manticore, so it wasn't exactly a love match or anything. I'd rather him not know. I don't want him to feel responsible for something he couldn't help."

"I understand," Max said softly. She held her hands out. "May I?"

Robin smiled. "Of course." She carefully placed Taylor in Max's arms and hovered as Max brought her closer to her chest, making cooing noises at the baby.

"The father is Seth," Robin said softly. Max looked up at her, startled, but before she said anything the door to their left swung open.

"Hey. Max." A man with glasses and a rather messy-looking appearance walked in, "I hear there was some sort of mess at the east wall," he said. He stopped and stared at the bundle in Max's arms, "What's that?"

Max rolled her eyes, "Logan, this is Robin," she said, nodding toward her, "and this here is Taylor, Robin's baby." She smiled adoringly at the little girl.

"Oh, sorry," Logan said, shaking hands with Robin, "I didn't see you in the shadows there."

"That's all right," Robin said as Logan moved around her to the other side of the desk.

"So I gather you're one of the new troublemakers?" Logan winked at her as Max shot him a glare.

Robin laughed. "Well, yes, I suppose you could call me that. We didn't intend to start any trouble. Getting over here was just a little harder than we anticipated."

"Totally understood," the man said, typing away at a keyboard. "Getting in and out of Terminal City isn't easy for anyone these days. We've had to be very sneaky about entering and leaving."

"We really do need to do something about that," Max said, carefully handing the baby back to Robin. "Transgenics trying to get into the city shouldn't have to run a gauntlet."

"Well, if I could just tell Seattle to lay off, I would," Logan said, looking up at Max, "But unfortunately, I don't seem to have that much power at the moment. So in the meantime we have to stick to our plans for negotiations with the federal government."

Max sighed and looked at Robin with feigned exasperation. "He insists on doing everything the proper way, the diplomatic way. All I want to do is go kick some government ass." Max grinned at Logan and he shook his head. This difference of opinion between them was obviously so old that it had turned into a joke.

"Was Max supposed to be helping you with something?" Logan asked, looking pointedly at Robin. Max threw the knickknack she'd been holding at him and then grinned as he ducked to avoid the object. It caught him in the shoulder. "Ow," he said, rubbing his shoulder. "Hey, I was just trying to do your job."

"I think I'll take care of that," Max said, turning back to Robin. "Now. Housing. Do you mind living in an apartment with Sidda? We're sort of short on rooms."

"That'd be fine, and I'm sure Sidda would be ok with it too," Robin said, "We shared a place in Hoquiam too."

"Great!" Max said. She turned to Logan and gave him an innocent smile, "Logan, could you enter them into the system please? And give them space on Oak Street?"

"I thought you were doing all that," Logan said, but he was already typing away.

"Yeah, well, you're the computer whiz. Plus I don't want to leave my nasty germs all over your keyboard." There was a moment of tense silence as the two looked at each other. Logan finally nodded and gave Max a slight smile.

"Ok," he said, talking as he typed. "You're going to live in… 215 Oak Street. 3rd floor, apartment 321. Two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen/ living room combo. Sound good?"

"Perfect," Robin said, "Taylor can sleep in my room."

Just then the door opened, and Sidda limped in, glaring at Alec as he held the door for her.

"Sidda!" Robin exclaimed. She ran to her friend and threw one arm around her in a hug as she held Taylor with the other arm. "We just got an apartment!" she said excitedly.

"That's great," Sidda smiled at her friend, "Does that mean we can get out of here?" Sidda glanced behind her at Alec, than looked at Max and Logan. "No offense to anyone, but I'm sort of tired."

"Of course, right?" Max looked at Logan to see if he needed anymore information from the two.

"If I could just get your basic information, Sidda…" Logan started. At Sidda's suspicious look, he hurried to explain. "I keep a lookout in the media for anything mentioning you guys, using a keyword search based on your profiles. It helps to keep those living in Terminal City a little under the radar." He paused, and then added as an afterthought. "Oh, I'm Logan by the way. I sort of take care of…wireless security around here."

"Okay," Sidda said, deciding to trust him. She recognized Max like Robin, and she could tell that the X5 was close to this Logan person. And Robin seemed to trust the two of them; she'd probably already given them her info.

Sidda and Logan quickly filled in the necessary data while the others talked in low voices, and then finally Sidda was given permission to leave.

"Someone will come by tomorrow to help you get acquainted with Terminal City," Max promised as they left.

"And I'll make sure you guys get home," Alec said, before Max could volunteer anyone else. He smiled at Sidda. "I live on the first floor of your building anyway." He looked at Max. "Mind if I borrow the car? That way Sidda won't have to walk."

"That's fine, but what about your motorcycle?" Max asked, "Do you want someone else to bring it by later tonight?"

"No, that's fine, I'll just get it tomorrow. Walking won't take that long," Alec said.

"Or I can just walk, if that's the case," Sidda started, but Robin, Alec, and Max quickly cut her off.

"No, you can't."

Sidda huffed, "Well then. I guess I'm outnumbered."

"I guess you are," Robin said brightly. If it had just been the two of them, Robin was pretty sure that Sidda would have insisted on walking if she thought driving would inconvenience anyone else.

Max tossed Alec the key, and he smiled at the two women. "All right, let's get out of here."

------------------------

Gray put his bloodied instruments into a metal bin for washing and sterilization. The infirmary was running low on all supplies so they couldn't throw anything away, not even already used instruments.

He rubbed his ruddy scruff of a beard and walked out of emergency room two and into the main reception area. Tonight had been a relatively quiet night until that gunshot victim had been brought in. Trying to convince her to just stay the night for observation had been impossible, and she had marched out, well, limped out, with a smirking Alec by her side.

He shook his head. All X5s were the same: headstrong, stubborn, and completely illogical when it came to their own health. Maybe it was some kind of design defect.

Gray moved toward where Kelly and Jericho were taking to Sensibility, the woman who helped him keep this place running, behind the reception desk. All of their records were kept up here in a file drawer; they were trying to get a computer, but the recovery teams, AKA groups of cat burglars, had not brought one back yet. Gray would have to make sure that was at the top of the list for the next run.

Sensibility, or Sibil for short, gave him a tired smile and raised her mug of coffee in a joking salute. The poor girl had been working for two days straight now with only a couple short naps to keep her going. Extra strong shark DNA, a touch of a nocturnal raccoon, and possibly some Florence Nightingale in her make-up made her one of the best medics in Terminal City. Sibil always said that the dark circles around her eyes came from the raccoon DNA, but Gray thought she could do with some more sleep.

"How are we doing?" he asked. He grabbed his coffee mug, the bright green one that said, "_I'm the Boss, So Deal With It_," a gag gift from Sibil, and poured in some highly caffeinated, expensive brand, very stolen coffee.

"We're almost out of latex gloves," Kelly said. She shoved some wisps of escaped black hair back behind her ears. "Actually, we're almost out of a lot of stuff."

"Except bleeding people," Jericho said. He took a long gulp from his coffee. Smacking his lips, he set his mug down and grinned at the others. "They just keep coming."

"And leaving," Gray said, frowning, "without even being properly examined."

"Oh, she'll be fine, they always are," Jericho said, "Us X5s are hardy."

"But not invincible," Kelly said, frowning at him. She was an X6, and she always hated it when it was implied that X5s were better than the other series or Nomalies. Just because X5s had been the last group that Sandeman had personally engineered didn't mean anything, at least not to her. "You guys are still vulnerable. Especially since you're dependant on tryptophan…"

"A glass of milk or a pill handles that," Jericho said, rolling his light brown eyes. "And that's only the 09ers nowadays."

"Still, it's a deficiency."

Gray sighed and looked at Sibil. He knew she didn't exactly approve of this series fight either. Neither of them, both being specially-designed medics, usually entered into the X-series fights. Sibil winked at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. She was always the eye of the storm; chaos could be all around her, but she was perfectly calm.

"All right, that's enough," she said, putting her mug down on the counter. "The next shift doesn't show up for another half-hour, and we have work to do. There's still a recovering transhuman in Room 7, and someone needs to check on Isolde and her baby."

"Isn't Tristan with them?" Kelly said, but she was already moving toward the back hallway. "And why exactly did they choose old literature names?"

"No idea, but it's better than something boring, like Kelly," Jericho said. Kelly scowled and raised a fist to him, but he blurred laughingly into emergency room 1.

"It's hard to believe they were ever super-soldiers," Sibil said, shaking her head.

Gray smiled at her. "I think it's a good thing. It shows they've moved on."

"Or regressed," Sibil said, but the smile on her face was good-natured. "I have to say, I like them better this way."

"Me too," Gray said as Kelly snuck into the room after Jericho, "Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: I LOOOOVE all the reviews I've gotten! Thanks so much for giving up time to hit the green button and write me a few words. I appreciate it so much!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 4

It was nine in the morning, and sunshine, bright and unnatural in Seattle, would have been pouring into Terminal City's command center…if it had had windows. Max was sitting at a table in the common area while she went over the last of the morning reports. She had gotten about an hour of sleep last night in the cot that she had set up in her sparsely-decorated office before heading to work again.

Half of Max's job was just settling disputes between disgruntled, unhappy transgenics who were trying to live together in a small, seven block area. It seemed big, but when you had around two hundred plus transgenics and only a few renovated apartment buildings, it seemed to get a lot smaller.

Besides the shootout with the sector police, last night Max had broken up a fight between a pair of X5 mates, crashed a X6 party gone wrong (complete with stolen booze and stereo), and stopped two X4s from tricking a transhuman into doing their portion of guard duty. Yeah, sure, everyone had been for transgenic unity three weeks ago, but now old prejudices were starting to resurface, especially since only the X-series could go out of the city safely, which gave them slightly more freedom than the transhumans, psy-ops , or Nomalies. The tension was driving everyone crazy.

Another large part of Max's job was dealing with the Feds. They wanted to talk to someone, and they seemed to assume that she was the leader around here. Hell, why not, everyone else did. Max scowled. One speech, and suddenly she was running the whole freakin' freak city.

Max put the sheets of paper she had been looking at on the ground and massaged her temples. Sometimes she wished she could just go pick up Zack from that farm they had left him at and make him the leader around here. Everyone knew he was more suited for the job than she was. Damn Manticore for screwing with his brain…

She picked the papers back up and glanced over them. They were print-outs from Logan's computer, and they had all the information on Robin, Sidda, and Taylor, the newest X5s plus one baby. She needed to file these. Oh, and get someone to go show them around. They were probably awake by now.

Max looked up and surveyed the room. HQ was a lot more crowded than it had been the night before when it was just a skeleton crew staffing it. People were always coming in here for assignments and then leaving to work on them or disappearing to some other part HQ. Or hanging around HQ because they had nowhere else to go. Max wondered what it would be like to just show up and ask for something to do instead of being one of the people giving out jobs. She wasn't sure if she would like that better or not.

Hmm, Dalton was here, pestering Mole for work. The big lizard guy was ignoring Dalton like he would ignore a fly. That kid so damn dedicated, showing up for work even after running a hard, late night guard duty last night. Max smiled. He deserved a tame assignment.

Grabbing the papers, she stood up and walked over to the table Mole was sitting at, a map of Seattle spread out in front of him. She cocked an eyebrow. "I thought I told you guys no more playing Risk with the Sectors. It makes people nervous."

Mole grunted and looked back down at the map. It was covered in red X's, green circles, and blue squares. Green circles meant places that were still okay to steal from, blue squares meant places that were starting to thin out or people there were getting suspicious, and red X's were no-goes. The red X's were starting to outnumber the circles and squares.

"Hey, Max, do you have something for me to do?" Dalton asked, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Funny you should ask," Max said, "I was actually coming over here to give you a job."

"Good," Mole snapped, "Get him out of here."

"Hey, you know you love me," Dalton said. He gave Mole that wide-eyed, innocent smile that usually melted people, no matter how callous they were. Mole just stared at him.

"Stop hanging around Alec," Mole said, "It's bad for you."

Max was about to tell Dalton his assignment when someone came rushing up to her. She took a step back, nervous that the other woman was going to run into her. She was a mess of mismatched sportswear, dyed green hair, and extreme energy. Never put squirrel into a DNA cocktail.

"Max, when can we get that gym started?" Gatorade asked. "I mean, lots of people have been asking about it, and people think it'd be a good idea, and I like the idea, and I think people would really enjoy a gym."

Max sighed and broke in when Gatorade finally had to take a breath. "A gym isn't exactly at the top of the city's priorities at the moment, but I think people have decided that warehouse four on Dogwood should be fine. It hasn't been designated for anything yet, and it's pretty close to housing for everyone."

Gatorade frowned and put a hand on her right hip. "But, Max, I've been asking you about this for weeks, you could at least have something more definitive than that, than just go clean a warehouse."

"Everyone's been asking me things for weeks," Max said, "Take some initiative, grab a gang of X7s and put them to work. Happy?"

Gatorade glared at Max before stomping out of the common area, her sneakers clanging against the metal steps as she marched up the stairs.

Mole gave a huff that passed as a chuckle, and Max frowned at him. "What?"

"Maybe you're getting the hang of this, Fearless Leader," he said, not looking up from the map.

"Whatever," Max said, "And don't call me Fearless Leader."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Max?" Dalton asked, bringing her attention back to him.

"Oh, yeah," Max said, shaking her head, "Could you go over to Oak Street and show the two X5s around?" She looked down at her papers. "They're over at 215 Oak Street, Apartment 321. They'd probably be glad to see a familiar face."

Dalton smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun. Want me to bring them by here when I'm done?"

"Sure, save the best for last," she said, irony in her voice. She was about to send Dalton off when she noticed Seth walked into the common area, a sleepy smile on his face. Mmm, he was probably going to be asking for something to do too… A smile came to her face as she watched him approach. Maybe Dalton could use some help.

"Morning, Max," Seth said, an easy smile coming to his face, "I didn't know if I was supposed to be helping the west gate crew or wait for a scavenger run tonight, so I thought I'd come by and ask to be certain."

"Actually," Max said, putting a hand on Dalton's shoulder, "I was just sending Dalton over to show Robin and Sidda around, and he could probably use a hand." She noticed the subtle change in his face at Robin's name and inwardly felt smug. She was determined that if she and Logan couldn't be completely happy right now she would at least live vicariously through over people by making good matches among the transgenics.

"That okay, Max, I can handle it," Dalton said, shaking his head. "Seth doesn't have to come."

"No, I'll go," Seth said quickly. He colored and looked over at Max. "I mean, that is, if you don't need me anywhere else."

"I don't need…"

Max's hand tightened around Dalton's shoulder, and he winced. Poor kid, so cute but so oblivious. "Good! See you around lunch then."

"All right, come on, Dalton," Seth said, walking back out the way he had just come. Dalton stood there for a minute, looking to Seth, to Max, and back to Seth as if they were in a conspiracy against him.

"Git, cat-boy," Mole said around his cigar, "Scat."

Dalton rolled his eyes at Mole and loped after Seth, his too-big jacket flopping around on his shoulders.

Max sighed, "Better put clothes on the things-to-steal list."

"Got it," Mole said, "Right behind cigars and toilet paper."

----------------------------

Sidda shook her head as she watched Robin coo to Taylor right after breakfast. It was ridiculous how happy being in the place made Robin, but Sidda could understand. She felt a level of safety here that she hadn't ever felt in Hoquiam. It was a nice change.

"Aren't they sending someone over to show us around the city?" Sidda asked, glancing out the dirty window. She was feeling antsy this morning, and having a leg injury that was forcing her to be more careful than usual wasn't helping things.

Robin nodded absently, still focused on Taylor. "Yeah, and after that's done, if we still have time, I think I'd like to make a run into Seattle, if you don't mind looking after Taylor." Robin glanced up and frowned at the bare walls of the apartment, "I'd like to pick up a few things to make the place look a bit nicer."

"I could go, and you could stay with the baby," Sidda suggested.

Robin laughed. "Leave decorating to you? I don't think so. Plus," she looked pointedly at Sidda's leg as she patted Taylor in an attempt to get her to burp, "you still have your wound there. You probably shouldn't go into Seattle until that's healed."

"I am never taking a bullet for your baby again!" Sidda growled in irritation. She rolled her eyes at Robin's hurt look. "I don't mean it like that, you goof. I love Taylor, too. I'm just irritated at everyone insisting on cooping me up."

"We were all trained to be logical in our decision-making," Robin said softly. She smiled at Sidda. "I guess you were sick that day."

Sidda snorted. At Manticore it seemed like you didn't get sick, not in the normal sense. You were either healthy or you were dying of some deadly, unknown genetic disease. The wonderful side-effects of being genetically engineered.

"It's just always easier said than done," Sidda said. They both startled for a moment as there was a knock at the door, and Sidda automatically went into a fighting stance while Robin tucked Taylor further into her arm.

"Sidda? Robin? You there?" It took them a moment to place the voice, then they both laughed a little and relaxed. They were too used to living on the edge, ready to fight or run at any given moment.

"Dalton," Robin said, supplying the name to go with the voice. Sidda nodded. The kid from yesterday.

"Yeah, we're here, come on in," Sidda called. It looked like their tour guide had arrived. When the door opened, Sidda couldn't help an involuntary glance at Robin. Robin's mouth tightened and she looked at Sidda almost desperately. Not one tour guide, but two. The second one not so welcome by Robin.

"Um, hey," Seth said, his eyes on Robin. He looked down at Dalton. "I'm here to make sure this guy doesn't get you all into any trouble," he said teasingly.

"I told Max I could give the tour by myself," Dalton grumbled. He had noticed the looks the two women had exchanged when they saw Seth, and he had assumed correctly that they were startled by the presence of two tour guides.

"There wasn't much else going on at the moment," Seth said, shrugging. He offered them a friendly grin. "I'll carry the baby, if you'd like. That way you can pay more attention to the tour."

Robin studied him for a moment. "Have you ever handled a baby before?"

"I've held one once or twice…" Seth said, shifting from side to side uncomfortably.

Robin shook her head. "We'll be fine. I'm used to carrying her anyways." Robin got up from the table, and Sidda nudged her side as she brushed by.

"Ow, what?"

'Give him a chance," Sidda hissed, watching as Seth reassured Dalton that he wasn't going to steal his tour guide duties.

Robin tapped her foot impatiently as Sidda blocked her way. "Fine. But just a chance," she said angrily.

"That's all I'm asking," Sidda answered, rolling her eyes as she let Robin pass by. Robin could be so stubborn about the most ridiculous things sometimes. It was obvious that Seth was interested in Robin, but she refused to see it. She insisted that they had only been breeding partners, and it would be rude to expect anything else from Seth.

"I suppose you can hold Taylor for a bit," Robin said, eyeing him suspiciously, "but the moment she starts crying, hand her back."

"Of course," Seth said eagerly, stretching out his arms for the baby.

Robin rolled her eyes. "Not yet. I have to get her ready for going outside."

"Babies require sooo much preparation," Sidda said, propping her elbows on the kitchen counter. It used to be that Robin was always waiting for Sidda to get ready before leaving the apartment, but now roles were reversed.

Once Taylor was bundled up Robin carefully transferred her to Seth's arms. The baby's face was barely visible through all the layers Robin had put on her. Sidda had a feeling that was more because of Robin's determination that Seth not recognize the baby than because it might be chilly outside.

"So how much is there to cover in Terminal City?" Sidda asked as they headed down the stairs. She'd heard it was rather small.

"Well, it's only a few blocks of streets on the surface, but we also have a lot of underground territory," Dalton said. He turned and grinned at Sidda. "That's where all the really interesting stuff goes on."

"All the stuff we don't really want the rest of the world to know about," Seth added. Sidda and Robin both looked at him, interested.

"What secret projects has Terminal City got going on?" Robin asked, curious despite her reluctance to talk to Seth. Seth grinned, happy that she was talking to him, but Dalton interrupted.

"Seth! That's some of the best stuff!" Dalton said, punching him lightly in the arm.

"Oops, sorry, man." Seth shrugged apologetically. "Promised Dalton he could give most of the tour."

"I can answer your question, ladies," Dalton said, pausing to glare at Seth, "We don't have a whole lot yet, but we're getting started on several new things, like research into some of the problems us transgenics have, talks with weapons dealers, etcetera. Also, most importantly, we get to the rest of the city through the sewers. We don't really want Seattle knowing about that, because as long as they think they've got us trapped here, they feel fairly safe. They still don't look too closely for us outside Terminal City."

Sidda laughed. "Is there anything that happens above ground?"

Dalton looked at Seth, and Seth shrugged. Dalton passed the gesture on to Sidda. "Living?"

"Yeah, I guess that is about it," Seth said in a tone of wonderment.

Both Robin and Sidda started laughing this time. "Two tour guides, and they still can't answer basic questions," Sidda said, shaking her head at Robin.

Robin sighed dramatically. "I must say, I am greatly disappointed with the quality of service. I may have to file a complaint."

Dalton crossed his arms in a rather grumpy manner. "Well, you're gonna have to get in line," he said, "because the one thing we have enough of here is complaints."

"They're just teasing you, kid," Seth said.

Dalton frowned up at him. "Not a kid. And hey, they were making fun of you too."

Seth chuckled. "Forgot about that."

"So," Robin said, "Are we going to stay here and talk about nothing or take a tour?"

"I was getting there," Dalton said. He jerked his thumb at Seth. "He was distracting me. See, I would have done better without you."

"Yeah, sure," Seth said, rolling his eyes. He gently wrapped the blanket tighter around Taylor and headed for the door. "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thanks a ton for the reviews! Reviewers are beloved, as always.

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 5

"And this is the command center, which you've already seen," Dalton said as they entered the common area of Terminal City's headquarters. "This is where everyone hangs around and pretends they're doing stuff."

Seth glanced at Dalton. "Just because they don't tell you what they're doing doesn't mean they're not doing anything." He had reluctantly given Taylor back to Robin, and the baby was now sleeping in her mother's arms.

"I don't see why I can't know important stuff," Dalton grumbled, "I'm as much of an adult as anyone else around here."

"Yeah, I can totally tell that by your complaining," Sidda said. She poked Dalton in the shoulder and grinned at him. "I didn't know they made such whiny X6s. Crazy, yeah, but not whiny."

Dalton made a face at her. "Haha. Funny."

"But true," Seth said as he headed down the stairs.

Dalton fought the instinctual urge to stick his tongue out at Seth's back and settled for a glare. "_Anyways_, HQ is where people usually hang around if they don't have anything better to do or are waiting for an assignment. We've set up a couple rec rooms, and then there is the surveillance area. And Joshua's studio is in here and the mess hall." He looked around the sparsely-populated room. "I'm guessing most of everyone's in the mess hall."

"Who's Joshua?" Robin asked, catching the name that Dalton had spoken.

"Our only source of income," Dalton said with a wry grin. "He's an artist."

"And the first Manticore creation," Seth added, "He doesn't have a barcode."

"So, he's like our older brother?" Sidda asked, smirking, "Nice. I always wanted one."

"I was going to tell them that part, Seth," Dalton said, frowning at the male X5. "You always tell them the cool things."

"You should learn to talk faster," Seth said. Dalton rolled his eyes and clomped the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Man, be a little louder!" yelled someone who was watching one of the TV screens. There were a lot of them; Robin hadn't noticed them all last night. This one was medium-sized and playing some sports game. A crew of transgenics who probably could have been doing something better with their time was gathered around it on a variety of couches and chairs, eyes glued to the screen.

"Yo, Denali, looks like your team's biting the proverbial dust of fail," said one of the younger transgenic girls. A bright red pixie cut gave her away as Jaz even from behind.

A startlingly white transgenic with wild, snowy glared at her from his spot near a vent. Robin recognized him as one of the rare Arctic units; there were only about five of them in all of Manticore. "You're asking for a fat lip, Jaz."

"Hey, look, it's that annoying, bitchy girl from last night," Sidda said as she walked off the steps. She glanced over at Dalton who was frowning at Jaz. "Is she always a pain?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Dalton said, "It's a defining personality trait."

"One that we wish we could erase," Seth muttered.

"Maybe that's her Manticore skill," Sidda suggested. "Jaz, X6-Something of Other, programmed for extreme bitchiness in all situations." She smirked at the redhead who was glaring her way, probably eavesdropping on the conversation. "It may come in handy somehow."

"More likely, it's a defect," Dalton said.

Jaz raised a one-fingered salute for Dalton, but Dalton ignored her. Jaz was always petty like that.

"Come on, let's go down to the mess hall," Seth said, giving Dalton's shoulder a gentle push. "I'm hungry, and I know the girls are too."

"I wouldn't mind eating," said Robin. They had only had a couple of energy bars that Seth and Dalton had brought by for breakfast, and before that, there hadn't been much food.

As if in agreement, Dalton's stomach rumbled. He grinned up at Seth. "Bet I'm hungrier than you are."

"Dalton, you're a teenager. Therefore, you're a bottomless pit, so of course you're hungrier than me," Seth reasoned. "If you're not hungry, then I'm going to assume you're dying and send you over to Sibil and Gray."

"Yeah, that's about right," Dalton said, nodding his fluffy-haired head. "Gem's probably got something good for lunch, 'specially since Everett and Nix just did a mission night before last."

"A thieving mission?" Robin asked. She was curious about everything that went on in this place; she wanted to immerse herself in the odd, quirky culture. It was a whole new world, deadly but exciting. It startled her that it was something she desperately wanted to be a part of.

"Yeah, out into Sector Twelve. They've got some nice food stores down there," Dalton said. His dark brown eyes that contrasted with his corn-yellow hair gleamed with excitement. "I heard they got some chicken. And a ham."

"It was stupid of them to go down there," Seth said. Robin looked at him as his voice lowered and his eyes. His shaggy brown hair was falling into his face; he needed a haircut. "It's dangerous to go looking for perishables, especially in a commercial district like that."

"Dude, I totally think that the ham is worth it," said Dalton, "I mean, come on, it's a _ham_."

Sidda chuckled. "Yeah, Seth, how could you possibly try to say that anything to do with ham could be wrong?" she said, her eyes wide with mock surprise.

Seth rolled his eyes and pushed Dalton's head, a gentle, playful gesture. "You think with your stomach."

"Whatever, it's done me good so far," Dalton said. "And now my stomach is telling me to go find Gem. Find food. Foooood." He laughed and ducked as Seth punched lazily in his direction. "Come on, Robin, Sidda. You guys have to meet Gem!"

Dalton headed off down a dimly-lit hallway that led off from a corner of the HQ. Seth sighed and motioned for them to follow Dalton. "That kid…"

"He's cute," Robin said, "And he just wants to be helpful."

"Yeah, I know," Seth said, "But one of these days…he's going to meet up with someone who won't take any of his lip."

"I've seen people with worse lips," Sidda said, her face straight, "He'll be a lady-killer when he gets older." The only thing that gave her teasing away was the slight upward twist at the corner of her mouth.

Robin rolled her eyes. "Ha, funny. You better eat something before your jokes get any worse."

"Oh, they haven't hit rock bottom yet." She turned to Seth, a smirk on her face. "Did anyone ever tell you the one about the rabbi, the elf and the three-legged dog?"

"Sidda…" Robin said, shaking her head.

"Kidding, kidding," Sidda said, holding up her hands and laughing. "Geez, you were more fun when you were pregnant, and that's saying a lot."

"I am not above smacking your head around, Sidda," Robin said, her eyes dangerous sapphire slits. "I'll just hand Taylor to Seth and whack you."

"Mhmm," Sidda said, seeming like she wasn't paying Robin any more attention. The sound of voices was spilling into the narrow concrete and steel hallway. "Mess hall ahoy?" she asked, looking up at Seth who was slightly behind her, walking next to Robin.

"Yep, straight ahead and to the left," he said. "It used to be some kind of storage area, like a basement, but it wasn't hard to convert it into a kitchen and mess. There's a guy here, Dix, who can make just about anything if you give him some scrap metal and electricity."

"Even hot water heaters?" Robin asked, hope in her voice. She loved hot baths, hot showers, hot water...

Seth gave a gentle, amused smile. "He made Max one a couple weeks ago. She says it helps her relax, and we all want a less…stressed Max. So, yeah, he can do that for you, if you ask him."

"I don't want to be a bother," Robin said, her nose wrinkling. She couldn't imagine him having the time to fix a hot water heater when there was so much else to do around here.

"You won't be," Seth said, "He does things in order of priority, but everyone has their own requests. There're a lot more working TVs around here than there should be."

"I smell something glorious," Sidda said, closing her eyes and lifting her nose into the air.

Robin sniffed the air and gasped. Warm, thick scents were floating down the hallway, tantalizing smells that made her mouth start watering as if someone had flipped a switch in her brain. "What _is_ that?"

"Smells like mashed potatoes, ham, green beans, buttered rolls, and carrots, but that could just be me," Seth said, shrugging his shoulders. Robin and Sidda looked at each other with the same expression. They had expected army rations, not a feast.

They stepped into the crowded mess hall and were further surprised. It seemed like most of Terminal City's residents were here, smashed into a room full of mismatched picnic and card tables, lawn and arm chairs, and a couple of completely out of place recliners.

Some transgenics sat intermingled around tables, but most of the groups kept to themselves, transhumans with transhumans, X-series with X-series. The divide was mildly disturbing but not unexpected. The trust between the groups was slow to grow and would take a while to solidify. Half the room looked up at the newcomers, but the others kept their heads down, focused on either the amazing food or their conversations. A lot of the X5 women had babies in their laps or arms and were too busy with them to be bothered by the entrance of new people.

Dalton waved to them from across the room. He was standing beside a table in the back that was covered with all sorts of delicious, yummy food. Next to him stood a red-haired transgenic with a bumpy, tri-colored sling around her torso. When they got closer, it was easier to make out the baby-shape to the bump; the sling was an interesting, old-fashioned kind of baby-carrier.

"Guys, this is Gem and Crystal. Gem's our best cook," Dalton said as soon as they were standing nearby. "Gem, this is Robin and Sidda. They're new."

"Really? I never would have guessed with the introductions," Gem said, but she affectionately tousled Dalton's hair. He scowled and tried to straighten his hair, but it stuck up at odd angles, and eventually he gave up. She grinned at his irritated expression and held her hand out to Robin. "It's good to meet new faces, especially female ones." She nodded her head at Seth. "Got enough guys around here to drive a girl crazy."

"That's because the women are usually smart enough to stay away from here," Seth said, smirking back at Gem, "And then there are the stubborn ones…"

"Proud to claim it," Sidda said with a grin. Gem smiled back. Stubbornness was a trait that almost all of the transgenic females embodied.

"Besides," Robin said, jiggling Taylor gently as the baby started to fuss, "There wasn't really anywhere left for us out there."

Gem nodded and smiled at the baby. "I understand what you mean." She absently played with Dalton's hair, the picture of a loving older sister. "We were pretty desperate to get here, too."

"I told you we could've waited for a little while, but no…" Dalton said, making a face.

Gem tugged Dalton's hair, and he hissed and twisted away from her, but she kept her painful grip. She smiled at Robin, Sidda, and Seth. "Aren't kids so cute?"

"Gem!" Dalton yelped. There was chuckling from one of the nearby tables, and Dalton's cheeks went red. "Geeemmm…"

"You're a cruel woman, Gem," Seth said. "Better let him go before you do his social standing permanent danger."

Gem sighed dramatically. "Only because you're such a sweetheart, Seth." She released Dalton's hair, and the teenager leaped away, smoothing his hair back and frowning at Gem.

Robin clenched her hands at Gem's statement then automatically loosened them. That reaction was completely ridiculous. What did it matter to her that someone else…someone else that was female…thought Seth was nice? It didn't matter to her. Nope.

Gem filled up four plates for them and sent them on her way. They sat down at an empty, small round table in one of the corners and dug into the undeniably good home-cooking.

"Wow, this is really, really amazing," Robin said after getting a good taste of the ham. She was holding Taylor with one arm while she ate with her free hand.

"We've got some good cooks," Seth said, "A lot of us have started stealing cookbooks just to see what Gem and the others can manage."

"Nice plan," Sidda said, grinning, "Maybe if we show the Ordinaries that we're domesticated, they'll let us live."

"Domesticated?" Alec dropped his tray in-between Dalton and Sidda and pulled a chair over to their crowded table. He smirked at Sidda as he sat down, forcing Dalton to scoot over. "I'd rather be feral, thanks."

"Nobody likes a tomcat," Sidda replied. "They never stay put."

Alec winked at her as he picked up his fork. "Maybe they just haven't found the right person yet." Before Sidda could say anything, he looked over at Seth. "How's the tour going?"

"Fine. I think we've shown them just about everything," Seth said. "Or everything there is so far."

"Yeah, still haven't seen the spa or the movie theater yet," Sidda said, "I'm guessing you're waiting until after lunch for that?"

"Dude, I wish," Dalton said, stabbing at his mash potatoes. "There's barely anything to do around here."

"I'm certain we can find you something to do," Alec said, smiling dangerously, "I think Gatorade's still looking for help with her gym."

Dalton became very interested in cutting his ham. "Uh, no, I just meant that there wasn't anything fun to do…but I'm cool. I like being with the girls."

"We like you being with us too, Dalton," Robin said, smiling at the kid, "You're a great tour guide, even when Seth's trying to steal the spotlight."

"I didn't do that," Seth said, "I was just trying to tell you…"

"Yeah, I totally could have done it without him," Dalton said, "I don't know why Max made him come with me."

"I couldn't imagine why…" Sidda said, glancing at Robin out of the corner of her eyes. Robin glared back and discreetly kicked the short blonde's uninjured leg underneath the table. Sidda didn't yelp, but her expression changed swiftly from a smile to a constrained grimace.

"Weird, but that's Max for you," Alec said. He popped a slice of ham into his mouth and attempted to talk around it. "She's always…doing…stuff like…"

"Ew, don't talk with your mouth full," Robin reprimanded, shaking her head. "It's gross."

Alec rolled his eyes but started chewing. He made a big deal of swallowing and leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "Anyway, Max is always doing stuff like that. She's got some kind of spun reasoning for all of it."

"Max knows what she's doing," Seth said. He glanced over at Robin and met her eyes for a brief moment before looking away.

Robin sat back in her chair and let the others chatter. She was glad that they were finally getting to sit down for a while. They had been walking for the past three hours, and that wasn't any stretch of endurance for an X5, but it had felt like an information overload. Their tour guides had been incredibly thorough, walking through all seven blocks of Terminal City and taking them into most of the buildings and into some of the underground passages that led out of the tiny "city." Robin was still trying to get the layout straight in her head; maybe she would draw out a map of it all later.

She shifted Taylor to her other arm as the baby squirmed around, raising her head and flailing her arms. She was hungry, but Robin didn't feel comfortable feeding her around all these people. Not that there wasn't a lot of other young mothers in here, and probably everyone had seen a woman feeding a baby, but it didn't feel right to Robin. She always wanted privacy. Taylor whined as Robin tried to shush her.

"Can I hold her?" Dalton asked, his eyes flitting from Taylor to Robin, "I'm pretty good with babies."

Seth laughed when Robin gave Dalton a skeptical look. "It's okay. He babysits for Gem all the time, and he hasn't killed Crystal yet. That's a pretty good track record."

"Hey!" Dalton exclaimed, "I'd never hurt Crystal, and I won't hurt Taylor."

Robin hesitated. "I trust you, Dalton, it's just…"

"She barely let's anyone hold the kid," Sidda said as she pulled apart her roll and slathered the inside with butter. "It's her violently protective mother side." She pointed her knife at Dalton. "Be wary." She bit down into the roll and tore off a large chunk of it.

Robin made a face at Sidda before turning to Dalton. "To prove that I'm not a crazy mother, you can hold Taylor."

Dalton was up from the table and at her side in a moment. Taylor stopped moving when Robin placed her in Dalton's arms. Robin's eyebrows lifted as Taylor quieted immediately, her wide blues eyes latched onto Dalton's face. The X6 went back to his chair and gently rocked the baby back and forth, humming snatches of some of his favorite rock songs.

"So, we know Manticore screwed up with you, kid," Alec said, a wry look on his face as he looked at Dalton, "Girls are supposed to get the mothering gene."

Dalton didn't look up from Taylor's face but his cheeks went red. He didn't like being teased by Alec, who he had halfway regarded as a role model since the Jam Pony Siege.

"I think you're jealous, Alec," Seth said, coming to the boy's defense. He looked across the table at Alec and smiled. "Just because Crystal always screams her head off every time you attempt to hold her doesn't mean that you have to envy Dalton."

Alec jabbed his fork into his carrots. "She'll come around. Eventually."

"If it helps, Taylor probably won't cry if you hold her," Robin said.

"That's because Taylor almost never cries anyway," Sidda said, "That's not a good way to tell if all babies hate Alec or not."

"You know what, you eat like a bird," Alec complained, motioning to Sidda's plate and conveniently switching the topic. A lot of the food was left on the chipped ceramic plate, half-eaten or barely picked at. He twisted in his chair to stare at her, eyes narrowed. "Are you anorexic?" If it hadn't been for the playful tone in his voice, she probably would have slapped him.

She glared at him. "You changed topics, and, no, you just saw me destroy a roll," Sidda replied. She poked at the remaining bread crumbs on her napkin for emphasis.

Alec shrugged. "That could be a ruse. Or you're bulimic," he said, waving his fork in a circle at her. He smirked at her. "Isn't throwing up all the time sort of gross?"

Sidda sighed and pushed her food around with her fork. "I just don't eat a lot. Never needed to. I told Gem I didn't need this much."

"I still think you're anorexic," Alec replied as he speared a hunk of her ham and brought it to his plate. "But you can sit next to me and be anorexic. I'll make it look like you're not." He grinned at her as he lunged for the rest of her mashed potatoes.

"Aren't you such a gentleman," Sidda replied, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling as he chivalrously stole the rest of the food from her plate.

"Always glad to help out a damsel in distress," he said. Now her plate was scraped clean.

"My knight in scientifically constructed armor," she said. She handed him her extra napkin, and he grinned as he plucked it from her fingers.

"Milady," he replied before shoveling her remaining green beans into his mouth.

Robin laughed quietly to herself at their bantering. She wasn't sure when she had last seen Sidda look so…not carefree but… happy. She was usually too busy worrying about how to get their next meal or where they were going to go next; there was not a lot of time for fun when you were trying to survive. Robin glanced at Seth before looking down at her plate again. Maybe this move to Terminal City really was for the best.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Love you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 6

"All right, I'm heading out for real this time," Robin said. She was standing at the door to their new apartment, zipping up her jacket. Behind her, Sidda was sitting on the couch with Taylor in her arms.

"Really? Because I know you probably forgot to tell me one more thing about taking care of Taylor that I already know," Sidda quipped. Robin made a face at her, and Sidda sighed. She didn't mean to get snarky, but she hated it when she was left behind because of an injury. It made her irritable, and when she was irritable, she tended to take it out on nearby persons, especially those she knew well. Design flaw.

"Sorry," Robin said, sighing, "I know that you know, I'm just trying to remember what all we need, and I keep remembering things for Taylor."

"You're putting off meeting up with your thieving partner," Sidda said. She tickled Taylor's chin, and the baby giggled. "That's right, littlest lovely, your mama doesn't want to be with your daddy. She's afraid she'll actually like him."

"Sidda, don't tell her that!" Robin's eyes were wide, probably because Sidda had hit the nail on the head, or so Sidda thought.

"Robin," Sidda said, looking up at her best friend, "She's a four-week-old. How much is she going to understand?"

"She's transgenic, so I have no idea," Robin said, "Maybe she's a super genius."

"I love Taylor, but I'm going to have to say no to that one," Sidda said, grinning at Robin, "Maybe when she's older, but not at a month."

"And I am not afraid to go with Seth," Robin said, fiddling with her jacket, "I'm just nervous about going out into Seattle again."

"I never said you were afraid to go with him," Sidda said, her head cocking to the side. A smile spread across her face. "But I will now, since you basically just admitted it."

"Sidda!" Robin said, "You're completely awful."

"Not apologizing," Sidda said, "I was born awful."

Robin rolled her eyes and walked over to their counter. She picked up a slip of paper and showed it to Sidda. "This has Seth's cell phone number on it and the number for HQ. If you need anything, call someone. Don't go out for it yourself. You're babysitting, and you need to rest your leg."

"My leg's fine," Sidda replied, scowling. She froze her face into a smile and jiggled her right leg. The dull ache that had been eating at her since that morning turned into a fiery pain that rushed across her calf and up her leg. "I'm. Fine."

"Sure," Robin said with that I-know-you're-lying-but-I'll-humor-you look that she reserved for Sidda. Sidda hated that look. "Just stay here with Taylor, okay?"

Sidda looked down at Taylor as if regarding her as a co-conspirator. "Taylor, don't you want to go out and have some fun? Maybe antagonize some Ordinaries? Give the sector cops a run for it?" The blue-eyed baby that looked exactly like a balanced mix of Seth and Robin gave her such an innocent, giggly look that she had to smile back. "I'm guessing that's a no."

"A definite no," Robin echoed from the door that she was holding open. Oh, look, she was almost out the door. Maybe she would actually leave this time. "You'll go next time, Sidda, promise. I'll see you later."

"Later," Sidda said. Robin waved and closed the door, leaving Sidda and Taylor alone in the almost bare apartment. Sidda leaned back into the couch and sighed as the pain in her leg started to dull. Okay, maybe trying to prove that she wasn't injured when she was wasn't the best idea…

Taylor made little baby noises as Sidda put her down on the light pink blanket that was laid out on the couch cushion beside her. Someone downstairs was playing Celtic music; the voices of flutes, drums, and penny whistles drifted up from the thin floorboards and into their apartment.

"Maybe your mom will bring us back a CD-player or something," Sidda said as she picked up the book that was propped up on the arm of the couch, spine cracked open. "Of course, music will fall beneath the necessity of home-decorating, so we may have to wait for the next expedition

Taylor only blinked and made a valiant effort to grab her own toes. Sidda smiled and curled up on her half of the couch, holding the book open with one hand while she tickled the baby with the other. She had just gotten comfortable when someone rapped on the door. Huffing, she put the book back down and glanced at Taylor.

"Your mother…" She looked back to the door. "Let yourself in, Robin, I didn't lock the door. No need."

"Some people might not agree," said a smooth, now-familiar voice as the door swung open. Sidda eyes widened and then narrowed as Alec walked in, his hazel eyes finding hers. "Ordinaries would say you were crazy."

She scooped Taylor into her arms and stood up, her gaze still trained on the male X5. Eleven at night seemed an unlikely time to be making a social call, even in Terminal City. "Not to be intolerably rude, but what're you doing here?"

"Babysitting the babysitter." He grinned and nodded his head back to the door. "Your roomie told me that you would probably try to make an escape and asked me to keep an eye on you. Then I decided to one-up her and physically make sure you stay put."

"So, what, you're going to sit on me?" Sidda asked, putting her free hand on her hip. Not that she minded the presence of such a fine male specimen, even if he was a womanizer, but she hated that he had already gotten it into his mind that she needed a guard dog. It only made her want to go out more. Taylor's head bounced against her chest, reminding her that she couldn't go anywhere anyways.

"Sitting on you…" Alec rubbed his chin, and Sidda noticed that there was a couple days worth of scruff on his face. Looked like Terminal City needed some razors. "Sounds like a solid idea if I'm desperate, but I'll try to be more creative than that."

"You'd need to be if I was actually determined to go out," Sidda said. She smirked at her and bounced Taylor gently. "I'm something of an escape artist."

Alec nodded. "I'll remember that." He walked over and ran his hand along their counter. He looked at her, his eyes traveling to her injured leg. "Hey, I meant to ask you at lunch, but how's your leg?"

"As fine as it can be with a hole in it," Sidda replied, wishing she could hide the whole damn leg, "I can't even feel it."

"Yeah, I can definitely tell that by the gritted-teeth look on your face," Alec said. He motioned toward the couch. "Why don't you sit down, get comfy, stop being a soldier for a minute."

"Have you sat on our couch?" Sidda asked. She glanced back over her shoulder at the poor thing. It did its job as a piece of furniture but the plaid behemoth had definitely seen better days. "Those springs have no mercy. And the cracks between the cushions eat more than coins."

"What, your couch feasts on flesh?" Alec asked with a dry laugh.

"Actually, no, it's the soul-eating variety," Sidda replied, a grin dancing across her face. "Great for Dr. Faustus, but no so awesome for the majority of the population." She winked at him, expecting a witty response. She was enjoying having a new verbal-sparring partner.

Alec's eyes drifted to her face, a shadow flashing across his features. There was grief in his eyes; she had only seen glimpses of it before, hidden in the dark green and gold, but now it was prominent, fresh.

"Are you all right?" she asked, taking a half-step toward him. She didn't know if she should touch him or not, so she kept her hands to herself.

The shadow passed as quickly as if had come, and he rolled his shoulders as if ridding himself of the emotion. "Yeah," he said, attempting a smile, "It's nothing." He brushed past her and lifted her book from where she had left it on the couch. "What're you reading?"

Sidda was starting to realize that he had a bad habit of switching topics. "_Little Women_. I picked it up from the way-too-small library over in HQ," she said as she walked over to his side, trying to keep her limping to a minimum. Her leg was still aching even though she was trying to cover it up. "You guys really need to expand your selection beyond Nancy Drew and Archie comics."

"Yeah, I'll put that on Honey-Do list. Right underneath don't die and save the city," Alec said. He thumbed through the book, not really looking at it. Sidda guessed that he wanted to distract himself from whatever he didn't want to think about. She wasn't going to press the issue.

"Shouldn't save the city go before don't die?" she said, heading back towards a light-hearted conversation. "Or do those two go hand in hand?"

"Still trying to figure that one out." He handed the book back to her and at the same time gave her a gentle shove. She hissed as her leg hit the edge of the couch, and she crumpled into the cushions, Taylor safely in her arms.

She glared up at him. "Not fair." He had maneuvered her into this position, just so he could force her to sit down.

He smirked as he picked up Taylor's blanket and sat down beside her, the blanket bunched up in his hands. "Your leg would thank me, if it could."

"Whatever…"

"So, tell me about your girly book," he said, tossing Taylor's blanket across the back of the couch. "Is it about midget girls or something?"

"No," she said, making a face. "It's about these four _normal-sized_ sisters who…well, it sorta follows them through their lives, I think. I haven't really gotten very far." She punched him gently in the shoulder when he started snickering. "Oh, stop it, it's probably a great book."

"Wow, Sidda," he said, taking the book from her hand. He shook his head and rapped his knuckles against the cover. "I can't find the right words to tell you how boring this book probably is."

"Hey, back off, you haven't even read it," she said, trying to grab it. He held it out of her reach.

"Neither have you. And, you know, I could probably get a good price for this. Looks really old, it's in good shape, hardbound," he said, appraising eyes studying the embossed cover.

"You are _not_ selling that book," Sidda said. She looked down at Taylor who was half asleep and then glared back up at him. "I haven't even read it yet."

He sighed and handed the book back to her. "Give me a TV and about 50 channels, and I'll have more fun than you and your books any day."

"Doubtful," she replied. She dropped the book over the side of the couch, far from Alec's reach.

He raised an eyebrow. "You really like reading that much?"

"Yeah," Sidda said. She smiled and played with the tiny decorative buttons on Taylor's purple onesie. "I got my name from a book."

"Huh. And here I thought Sidda was an original creation." Alec grinned and leaned back into the couch, making himself comfortable. Sidda sighed. Well, he was here now, so she supposed telling him a bit of her story couldn't hurt. There wasn't really a need to hide anything from him.

"It took me a couple months to decide what to call myself," she said, "I didn't want to just pick any old name."

"What'd you tell people to call you before you decided?"

"I went by the name I used on my last mission. It was a really long mission so I was already used to answering to it." Heat warmed her cheeks, and she could imagine the rosy blush that was overtaking her cheeks.

Alec nudged her with his elbow. "And this name was?"

"No. You'll laugh," she replied, the blush creeping towards her ears. It was an awful name, at least for her.

"Yeah, probably, but you still have to tell me."

"No, I don't."

"I've used some stupid names, too," he said. He started counting them off on his fingers. "Let's see, I was Ace Gorten, Lincoln Thomas, and oh, man, I was Fergus Abernathy once." He cringed at the memory, his face contorting with disgust. "There is _no_ way you can beat a name like that."

"Fergus Abernathy?" She lifted her hand to her face to cover her smile, but it wasn't enough to keep the laughter out of her eyes. "You're making that up."

"It was a mission in Northern Ireland. I had almost erased it from my memory." Alec crossed his arms and proceeded to pout, his lower lip poking out. "Okay, now you have to tell me since you made me relive that not-so-happy time in my life."

"Fiiiiine," Sidda said. She avoided looking at Alec and watched Taylor's serene face instead. "It was Mary Josephine."

His pout changed to a smirk, but he didn't start guffawing or anything. "Not terrible. Sounds…Catholic."

"It is."

Alec nodded. "It doesn't fit you." He reached out as if to play with a bit of her short hair but dropped his hand and looked toward the window, a confused twist to his lips.

Sidda noticed the halted gesture and pulled Taylor closer. She thought she had pinned Alec correctly as a womanizer. What had stopped him from playing with her hair? It would have been a perfect flirting technique right there…maybe he wasn't very good at womanizing. "I know. I switched to Sidda pretty soon after reading _Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya-Sisterhood_. The main character's name was Siddalee…and I liked how it sounded."

"So your name is really Siddalee?"

"Yeah, but no one but Robin really knows that," Sidda said. She wasn't even sure why she had told him, it wasn't like it was need to know information.

"I like it. _Siddalee_." He rolled the name around on his tongue, and Sidda stopped herself from shivering. She didn't like how much she enjoyed it when he said her name. He turned his face toward her and smiled. "Now that fits."

"I thought so."

Taylor gave a whimpering cry, making her presence known. Sidda hummed a couple counts from the lullaby that Robin always sang to the baby, but Taylor started whining louder, bordering on a true cry.

"I don't think that's working," Alec said, smirking at Sidda. Taylor let out a wail, and he laughed. "Maybe you should try something else."

"She's tired," Sidda said. The blush climbed back into her cheeks, turning them strawberry. "She won't stay asleep unless someone sings her lullaby to her. She only dozes when you hum it…" Oh, she so didn't want to sing in front of Alec.

"A lullaby? Where the hell did you guys learn a lullaby?" Alec's eyebrows met in a wry expression. "I know Manticore wasn't big on the warm and fuzzy parts of childhood."

"We were out of Manticore for a while before Taylor was born, you know," Sidda said. She stood up and started to pace their small living room, cradling the baby closer. Taylor didn't stop crying, but she started whining instead of wailing. "Robin got a liking for musical movies, and she memorized a lullaby from one of them. Taylor's never gone to bed without it."

Alec grinned. "Do I get to hear this lullaby?"

"I just might kick you out," Sidda said, her cheeks scarlet. She liked being the center of attention, but not for her singing. And especially not in front of a guy.

"Come on, I won't make fun," Alec said, "I might join in if I know it."

"You sing?" Sidda stared at him incredulously. Alec spread out on the couch where she had been and put his arms behind his head for a cushion.

"I don't know, I never tried," he said. "So maybe I won't."

Sidda chewed her bottom lip and looked down at Taylor. She really didn't want to sing right now.

"Sidda, I swear I won't laugh or anything. I won't even look at you."

"All right…but you can't tell anyone about this," she said, pinning him with a scowl.

He closed his eyes and a smile tweaked his lips. "I won't."

Sidda watched him for a moment, paranoia making her think that he had some kind of recording device. Maybe she could go into one of the back rooms…but with the thin walls and transgenic hearing, he would hear her anyway. Sighing, she started humming the intro to the strange, haunting melody that Robin had chosen months before Taylor was born.

Her voice quaked through the first few notes. "_A gentle breeze, from Hushabye Mountain softly blows over Lullaby Bay_…" She locked her eyes on Taylor's face and pretended Alec wasn't there. The song flowed easily from her now, but she kept the notes quiet and calm, sending Taylor into a deep sleep. "_…So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain, wave goodbye to cares of the day. And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain sail far away from Lullaby Bay_."

Taylor's eye's slowly closed and soon she was still and slumbering. Sidda glanced at Alec; he looked asleep too. With careful steps, she took Taylor back to Robin's room and laid her down on the single bed. She made a nest of pillows around the sleeping baby before heading back into the living room.

"Nice song," Alec mumbled, and she jumped, startled. She turned to him and noticed that his eyes were opened into hazel slits.

"Thanks," she said, looking away and trying not to be flattered or embarrassed. "Robin chose it."

He sat up and yawned, a sleepy cast to his face as he looked up at her. Maybe he really had napped for a minute there. "So, why don't you have your own little bundle of joy? I thought it was an X5 female requirement. Or was your partner limp?"

"Nothing as crude as that," Sidda said as she slipped into the empty space on the couch that he had provided for her. "It actually goes back to the Mary Josephine thing."

"You couldn't breed because of religious reasons?" Alec asked, humor chasing away the sleepiness, "Nice excuse, but somehow I don't think Manticore would've flown with that."

"Actually, they instigated it," she replied. Her gaze traveled to the dirty window as her mind pulled up a year's worth of memories. White marble statues, ancient yet pristine, the deep, warm brass chime of the bells in the morning, the smell of the gardens warmed by the summer sun, the feel of the cold stones beneath her knees when she knelt to pray…she could still feel the cool meadow breeze on her cheek. And the weight of the ever-present Glock hidden beneath her novice habit.

"Hey, hey, Sidda, you can't just stop at that." Alec's voice brought her back to reality. His hazel eyes were on hers, probably realizing that she was shifting through memories. "Now I'm curious."

Sidda pulled her legs up onto the couch and sunk her toes into the supposedly soul-eating crack between two of the cushions. She let her gaze travel along the floorboards as she thought about that last mission. "I was on a deep cover solo assignment in a convent over in Italy."

"Huh. I didn't think Manticore had anything against the Pope."

"They didn't," she said, rolling her eyes. She didn't bother to correct him that the Pope lived in the Vatican, not a random convent. "They had something against an ex-Manticore geneticist gone nun."

"A nun?" Alec's eyebrows curved upward as he snickered. "Ironic."

"Gets better. She was actually the Mother Superior over there."

Alec snorted as he played absently with the edge of Taylor's blanket. "Well, wouldn't want to stop meddling with people's lives just because you had a change of occupation, now would you?"

"More like a change of heart."

"Manticore geneticists are heartless," Alec said. Hot bitterness ran through his voice, and Sidda looked at him, taking in the darkness on his face as he glared at the opposite wall. "Can't really change something that wasn't there."

"She wasn't like other geneticists there, then, I guess," Sidda said. It was hard to reconcile Mother Maria Clare's kind, wrinkled face with the hard faces of the scientists at Manticore. Those soft hands that held hers at the dinner table, the eyes that lit up when the blood-red poppies appeared in May, the way she smelled like peppermint, chocolate and sunset. She tried to imagine what Maria Clare would look like in a white lab coat, answering to the name Katherine Mason…no. Sidda rested her chin on her knees and sighed. "Even you would have had to like her."

"Doubt it," Alec scoffed. "Besides, she was your mission, right?"

"Yes," Sidda said, "I was embedded with the other novices and told that I should try to find out if she was telling anyone information about Manticore before killing her."

"How long were you with them?"

"A year," she said softly, "From August 2019 to until after the breeding program started in September last year."

Alec let out an appreciative whistle. "Damn. That's really deep cover."

"They didn't want anyone to suspect me," Sidda said, "And I made sure no one would doubt quiet, lovable, innocent-looking Mary Josephine, especially not the Mother Superior."

"Not like you look like much of a threat anyway," Alec said, "You're probably the smallest X5 I've ever seen."

"5'2" is exactly four inches under the average height for an X5 female," Sidda said, rattling off the fact that was ingrained into her brain. She flicked at a piece of lint on the couch. "I was engineered to look harmless, the concept being that no one would ever consider me a threat."

"They did a good job," Alec teased. Sidda only glared at him. "So how'd your mission turn out?"

"I…I stayed too long," Sidda said, hesitating. It was hard to talk about this…She thought about glazing over the details, but Alec seemed truly interested, and she found that she couldn't stop herself from telling him everything. He was oddly disarming. "I got to know my objective, and she didn't seem…I didn't think she deserved to die."

"You let her live."

She could feel his gaze burning on her face, but she couldn't look up. Absently, she picked at the arm of the couch. "I just...She was kind to me. She loved everything and everyone at the convent." Sidda closed her eyes as hot tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks. "It was easy to pretend that she loved X5-638 when she loved Mary Josephine so much. I used to sit at her feet, and she'd brush her fingers though my hair. It was long back then, wavy..." She ran her fingers absently through her now short hair. She couldn't stand it long anymore. "I was trusted, so I had little contact with Manticore. I felt like the convent was more of a home than I had ever had."

"Did you tell her?" Alec asked, his voice thick.

Sidda nodded. "Yeah. She was frightened, but she understood. Way too well." _Soldiers don't cry. Ever. No tears, 638!_ God, would she ever get Manticore out of her head? "She said she didn't hate me, that I was just doing my job. I told her that we had to figure something out, but she said it could wait until morning." Sidda wrapped her arms tighter around her legs, her forehead resting on her knees. "One of the sisters found her the next morning. She had accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills, or at least that's what they told us."

"Sidda…"

She lifted her head and let her face harden into the schooled Manticore expression. She shouldn't have told him all this, but she already had, so she might as well continue. "I don't know why she did it. Maybe she was afraid of me, or maybe she thought she was sparing me the pain." She dug her fingers into her pants legs. "I always think about what if I'd stayed with her, if I hadn't left. I got soft in that convent. Maybe if I hadn't she'd still be alive…"

"Or she would have been dead sooner," Alec said. His hand moved carefully across her tense shoulders, as if he was unsure of himself. When she didn't fight him off, he pulled her to him, her small body fitting comfortably into his side. Sidda stiffened. She hadn't been this close to a guy since…a while. But sitting this way with Alec felt right, natural. She relaxed but hesitated before letting her head lean against his shoulder.

"I left that day and went back to Manticore, victorious, yet again," she said, her voice dull. "When I got back, I was put into Debriefing. I didn't know about the breeding program until Manticore was burned to the ground."

"Is that when you found Robin?" His warm breath rustled her hair.

Sidda made an affirmative noise. "I don't know why, but we just stayed together, heading west until we hit Hoquiam." She gave a small, tentative smile. "She _was_ a part of the breeding program, as you can tell."

"Who was her partner?"

Sidda snorted. "Oh, no you don't. I'm not telling."

"Fine, but I'll find out eventually," Alec said with certainty. There was comfortable silence for a moment, and he shifted underneath her, his arm still draped over her shoulders. "So you don't know who your partner was supposed to be?"

"No," Sidda said, glad they were moving away from the topic of the convent. It seemed like Alec could actually be skilled in guiding the conversation into new topics if he felt like it. "And I don't mind not knowing. At least then I have more of a choice in the matter."

Alec chuckled. "I don't know, a lot of the X5s here seem pretty content with their breeding partners."

"Who's yours?"

"Max, I guess," Alec said noncommittally.

Sidda turned to gape at him, her eyes wide. "Are you serious? And you can't guess, you have to know. And why aren't you with her? Did she have your kid?"

Alec put his hand to her mouth, quieting the torrent. "Can I answer those before you ask more?" When she nodded, still staring at him, he continued. "For one, yes, I'm serious. Two, that's complicated."

"Why?"

Alec sighed and rubbed his temple with his left hand. "It's just…I don't know. Manticore assigned us as breeding partners, but it was a last minute thing, and it was actually a mission for me. I was supposed to help her escape and kill her boyfriend, Eyes Only, yada yada."

Sidda's eyebrows jumped halfway up her forehead. "You tried to kill Logan?"

"Actually, Max did it herself, I just watched to make sure it happened." Alec didn't sound ashamed or guilty, just factual.

"You obviously failed."

"Obviously," he said, rolling his eyes. "But anyway, there wasn't anything between me and Max. No mushy feelings or anything, and she really hated me for a long time."

"I can't imagine why." Her lips were twisted in a smirk.

"Sassy."

"Genetic defect."

He grinned as he kept answering her questions. "To answer number three, I'm not with her because I don't really feel that way about her, and Logan does. I mean, don't get me wrong, Max is awesome and everything, but I don't really like the occasionally bitchy, ice queen types. Especially when they think I have the IQ of a canary."

"Well, you probably are distracted by shiny objects."

"I'm ignoring that comment and jumping to question four, which the answer is a definite no." Alec shook his head. "Max wouldn't touch me except to kick me."

"Hmm, interesting reaction," said Sidda, "Bet that hurt your oh-so-manly feelings."

"No, not really. She was covered in outside cooties anyway," he said, affecting a snotty tone, "Never know what someone who's been on the outside for that many years may have picked up."

"Hmm, morals? A sense of the real world?" Sidda suggested. A yawn interrupted her list, and she realized that drowsiness had settled onto her eyelids. It had been a long day with an emotional twist at the end, and her injured body needed to rest.

Alec laughed and tapped his fingers against her shoulder. "Getting sleepy, Sidda?"

"Mmm, maybe," she said, "But I have to wait for Robin to get back. I don't like sleeping when I'm watching Taylor."

"Hey, I'm here," Alec said, "I can take care of the kid if she starts whining."

"I'd rather you just woke me up," Sidda said, "I remember what they said at lunch about kids not liking you."

"That's just Crystal, and she's picky," Alec said. He caught her arm and pulled her into his side again. She had moved away while they were talking about Max. She resisted for a moment then allowed herself to curl up beside him, her head resting against his shoulder. She fit there perfectly, her small body pressed against his tall form.

"Don't try anything or I'll kick you out," Sidda warned, but her words didn't sound half as threatening as she wanted them to when she started yawning halfway through.

Alec tousled her hair and let his hand rest on her arm. "Just go to sleep, Sidda."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Love you all!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 7

Robin trotted down the apartment stairs and into the bare street. Alec was going to make sure Sidda didn't go anywhere, and Sidda was taking care of Taylor, which meant Robin had a night free of both roommate and baby. She loved both of them, but sometimes it was nice to get away and have time to herself. Even if it meant she had to take Seth along with her.

At night, this place really did look abandoned. There were no street lights or gleaming store fronts to light the street as she got farther away from Oak Street, the home of most of the X series. Transhumans lived the next street over, on Maple Street; the apartments there were bigger, and it was nearer to the command center. Nomalies took up wherever they saw fit, and Robin now knew, thanks to Seth and Dalton's tour, that some of them lived under the city in the tunnel system. A few transgenics were roaming around the city tonight, but most of them had gone to their apartments or were at HQ. The streets were deserted.

Robin sighed. She was heading toward the middle of their small city, where the main entrance to the tunnel system was. Seth was supposed to meet her there. He had wanted to come pick her up at her apartment, but she had promptly told him she was capable of finding her way to Sequoia Street without him. Why did he have to be so…nice?

When Robin had asked Max after lunch if it was okay to go raiding tonight, Max had said there wasn't a thieving party going out tonight and she didn't think it was safe for Sidda to go alone yet. Seth had automatically volunteered to go with her, saying that he wanted to pick up some gas for the generators and what not. Sure he did.

Of course, Max had said it was perfectly fine to go with Seth, and there had been no way to get out of it then. Robin wasn't so sure if it had been the smartest thing to tell Max that Seth was Taylor's father. Now the transgenic leader seemed incredibly determined to make them get together, throwing them into situations where they had to interact.

Speaking of the devil…Seth was already there, waiting for Robin. Robin sighed; why did he have to be so nice? Robin wondered if Sidda was right, if he might actually like Robin. But that was just ridiculous to think about. It was because of Max that Seth kept seeing Robin. It hadn't been Seth's choice.

"So what sort of decorator are you?" Seth asked as she approached. He had an easy grin on his face. Robin had to admit, he really was such a likable guy.

"I don't know," Robin said truthfully, "I'm still in the experimental stage…but I think I like earthy tones and subdued colors. Sidda likes blue, so we definitely have to include that."

Seth chuckled. "Sounds like a major shopping expedition."

"We can pick up anything else Terminal City might need on the way," Robin said defensively, "We were going to steal a truck to haul it all back anyways, weren't we?"

"Yup," Seth replied. He opened the door to the dilapidated building behind him. Like the rest of Terminal City, it seemed like it should have been bulldozed years ago. Robin eyed the building doubtfully. It didn't seem like the location of one of the most-used entryways into the city. But maybe that was the point.

She followed Seth down some creaky wooden steps into a damp basement, the odor of decay strong in her transgenic nose. There was a rusty iron door in one wall with several peeling caution signs taped to it, and several naked light bulbs illuminated the place.

"This place is on the list of projects-to-be-done," Seth said, as if reading her mind. He hauled back on the door; apparently the hinges weren't exactly in working order either.

They entered into the beginnings of the sewer system. Pipes were bare and easy to see, but nothing was obviously sewer-like until they climbed down a level into the true sewer system that ran beneath Seattle. Robin was fervently glad that she'd left Taylor behind with Sidda. She wasn't sure she wanted her young daughter exposed to all the nasty germs that were breeding down there, even if Taylor might be immune to almost everything. Robin just didn't know how much of her and Seth's transgenic immunities had carried over to the baby.

Robin looked at Seth curiously; he was a doctor, after all. He should know. "Seth?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he glanced at her, then looked ahead again, concentrating on their route.

"Do you guys know yet what transfers from adult transgenics to their children? Like immunities and stuff?"

Seth stared at her for a moment, surprised by the question. Then he realized why she must be asking it. "Well, pretty much everything seems to transfer to the babies of two transgenics, so Taylor should be fine," he said absently. Then he blushed, "I mean, unless Taylor…"

Robin decided to spare him; he had been fairly nice to her and Taylor, after all. "You're the father, Seth. I know you know it, but just in case there was any doubt, it's a fact."

"Oh, thanks." Seth's face was even redder.

"And you don't need to feel obligated to take care of us or anything," Robin added quickly. That had been the whole reason she'd avoided telling him Taylor was his in the first place. "Sidda and I take care of her just fine."

Seth hesitated, afraid to say the wrong words. "Robin, I don't mind…no, I want to help take care of Taylor. I'm excited about being a dad." He looked at Robin, trying to gauge her reaction. Her expression was tight, closed off from him; she was waiting for something more.

"I already love Taylor. She's adorable" he said quietly. He stopped and looked at her intently, "And I …I really like you too, Robin. A lot. I did the moment Manticore…" he shook his head, dismissing that reference, "but I want you to give me a chance to show you that, to prove it to you. That's all I'm asking. If you don't feel the same way about me, that's ok. Let's just try."

Robin stood there, stunned. She had felt something for him too when they'd been put together as breeding partners, but she hadn't really known what she was feeling. And then when she found out what it was, she had dismissed it as a natural attraction for her first sexual partner. She had assumed that Seth didn't have the same feelings for her. And now he was saying all along that he had. And that he still did. Robin wasn't sure how to respond; her feelings about him were so mixed-up right now.

"I suppose there's nothing wrong with trying," Robin said slowly, twisting her fingers in her leather jacket, "but I don't really know how trying works." She looked up at him. "How do we go about that?"

Seth grinned, relieved that she was at least giving him a chance. He'd been afraid telling her about how he felt so soon would come on a bit too strong. But he had decided that in order for Robin to allow him closer, he would have to say something.

"I'll take care of most of it," Seth promised, "but for now, let's just hang out. Like this shopping expedition tonight." He gave her an encouraging smile. "It should be fun."

Robin laughed. "Yes, if playing dangerous is fun, then this trip definitely will be."

Seth chuckled as he continued to lead her onwards. "Well, we transgenics must be living the ideal life right now then, getting to face danger every day."

"Of course," Robin murmured, following Seth's lead and ducking her head to avoid a pipe. "With our kind of genes, life without danger is an absolute bore."

"Too true."

Ten minutes later, they emerged into a shadowy alley, the backside to a series of stores. It was a windy day; the roar of the wind through the buildings almost sounded like a distant space shuttle taking off. Not that Robin or Seth had actually heard one live before, but they'd both seen the vids.

"Hmm, good night for thieving," Seth said, sharing a wide smile with Robin. She laughed and spread her arms, exhilarated at the feel of the open air rushing past her. The wildness of it gave her a thrill, making her feel more connected to the greater city than she would've supposed.

"Truck first?" she asked, turning to Seth.

"It'll be faster loading supplies that way," Seth said, nodding, "There's a good place I know of in Sector 6. It's not guarded really well, we should be able to slip the truck out with hardly any problems."

"Excellent," Robin replied.

---------------------------

Seth was right; there wasn't a whole lot of security. Just one guard shack, and the guard seemed to be taking a nap. His feet were propped up on a desk, his head was tilted back, and his mouth was hanging open. He probably didn't expect people to try and rob his junk yard.

"You think there's a workable truck here?" Robin asked Seth doubtfully.

Seth nodded as he led Robin purposefully toward the back of the junk yard. They passed cars with their hoods thrown open, cars without tires, rusty cars, old cars, and a few motorcycles that seemed like they had seen an accident or two.

"I was here a week or so ago looking for some spare parts, and I came across it in the back corner of the lot. The guy who owns the place probably forgot it was even there."

"Mmhmm," Robin said absently. Her attention was fixed on a black and silver street bike a few yards away. The longing on her face was obvious, and Seth turned to see what she was staring at.

He chuckled. "We could grab that too, if you want, and if it works. I don't mind driving the truck."

Robin tore her gaze away from the street bike. "No, it's okay," she said regretfully, "I don't need it right now. I'll come back some other time."

"Sure?" he asked, glancing at it again. It was a nice bike.

"Yes," Robin said, pulling at his sleeve and dragging him past it, "Let's keep going before I change my mind." She knew Sidda would kill her anyways if Robin brought back a bike for herself and didn't bring back one for Sidda. In fact, Sidda would probably steal it. Best to save that trip for when the two of them could go out together.

The truck was an old U-Haul truck, the bright orange fading, the seat cushions flat. But Robin loved it. "Seth, that's perfect!" she said, clapping her hands with pure delight. Though small, its design would make it great for stuffing things into.

Seth grinned. "Thought you'd like it," he said, holding the passenger door open for Robin. Robin was glad he was driving; she had no idea how to manage such a large vehicle. None of her undercover missions had required her to know how.

"So where do you want to go?" Seth asked after he'd climbed into the truck. Robin tapped her fingers on the window beside her, thinking.

"Hmmm…do they have a Pier 1 in town?" she asked, "I loved going to that store…"

Seth chuckled. "This is Seattle; they definitely have one of those. And I actually know where it is because it happens to be next to a hardware store."

"How convenient," Robin murmured, smiling at the mischievous gleam in Seth's eyes. Their truck was definitely going to be packed by the time they got back to Terminal City.

"Will it be hard to get the truck into the city?" she asked Seth as backed out of the space. With all the humans and sector cops patrolling the area, she thought it'd be rather obvious that any large truck heading that way would be carrying supplies to the city. And that sort of vehicle would seem like a good target if she didn't like transgenics.

"Well, it will be," Seth answered truthfully, "And normally I'd get a smaller vehicle, we'd park at a sewer entrance, and then we'd just enlist a few of those lazy bums who hang out at the command center all the time to help carry stuff."

"But?" Robin prompted.

"But I checked with Max before going out, and I told her I was thinking about using this truck. She really wants the truck, so she said to just give her a call when we're on our way back, and she'll send some people out to one of the smaller gates to help us. Hopefully if we get through quickly we can avoid any major trouble."

"Goodness," Robin said, sitting back in the seat as she watched Seth maneuver through the junk yard. "This is turning into quite an operation."

Seth nodded, then messed with the gears as they finally pulled up in front of the chain-link gate to the junk yard. "You'd think they'd learn by now not to use those." He looked at her, a smile flitting across his face. "Hold on."

He pumped on the gas, and Robin laughed as the truck surged forward and right through the gate. "That is way too much fun," she commented, looking out the window to watch as the lights came on in the guard shack. In all likelihood, by the time he got out there, they'd be gone. Poor guy, he probably wouldn't even be able to figure out what had been taken.

Robin sat back. "We're good," she told Seth, grinning at him. She was rather surprised; she'd sort of figured that as the medic type, Seth wouldn't be into random, slightly dangerous activities that weren't exactly necessary. But he seemed to enjoy breaking and entering and then stealing the truck as much as Robin did. Maybe Sidda and Max were right; maybe she should give Seth a chance.

"Hey, look at that," Seth said, nodding toward Robin's window as a red light stopped them. She peered outside; there was a medium-sized, pale pink hotel covered with a few layers of city grime sitting at the street corner.

She laughed as she saw the sign. "Hotel Max? Has Max gone into the real estate business?"

"I didn't think so," Seth said, "Maybe that's where she got her name from." He glanced out the front window at the red light and sighed; the light was taking forever to change.

"Hey Seth…" Robin frowned as she continued to watch the building. She saw several dark figures in the lobby, and they seemed to be upsetting the receptionist. And as she looked closer, she realized she saw several more of the dark figures on the outside of the building, all heading toward a window on the third floor.

"Yeah?"

Robin pointed. "There's something going on there…" she glanced uneasily at Seth, "Should we do something?" She felt bad, just sitting by and watching while a crime was happening when she and Seth could possibly help.

Seth looked out the window again and quickly did a mental calculation. Assuming that there were more of those people closing in on the hotel room from the inside, there had to at least be ten or fifteen people on the operation.

He hesitated; he didn't know if whoever was in that room deserved what was coming to him, but he probably did. Most people who had trained killers after them usually had done some pretty bad things in the course of their lives. And right now, Max was asking all the transgenics to lay low. If he and Robin got involved in a fight and it got media attention, they'd probably be portrayed badly, and Max would kill them if they weren't already dead from having been shot by Ordinaries or Familiars.

The light turned green, and Seth shook his head regretfully. "Better not," he said, pushing the gas, "Max wanted us to try not to attract any unnecessary attention."

Robin nodded; she'd learned from Dalton and Seth on the tour that right now, Terminal City's main focus was on not provoking humans, aiding transgenics, and building up the city and its supplies. They couldn't afford for residents to just go about doing whatever they felt like. Terminal City would never get itself organized and working if there weren't some guiding rules for the people who chose to live there.

A few blocks farther on and they finally turned onto the street where the stores were. They parked outside the rather well-off Pier 1 and surveyed it for a moment; someone was still closing up shop in there, but it looked like the nearby hardware store was deserted. In fact, the street itself was fairly empty of people; there wasn't much going on there at night when all the shops were closed.

"Let's go to the hardware store first," Robin suggested. Doing something would be better than just sitting around, waiting for the Pier 1 to empty out.

"I think they even have a side business of selling fuel here too," Seth said as he picked the lock, "It'd be nice, to manage and get all our shopping done at one stop."

Robin laughed. "Yeah, shopping."

Seth grinned. "Well, until Joshua becomes a more prolific artist…"

"Aren't there other artists in Terminal City?"

Seth nodded. "Artists, writers, scientists… if people would actually hire us, we could make quite a good income. We're pretty much all really good at what we like doing."

"But we're stuck in idleness, because Ordinaries are afraid of us," Robin said.

Seth opened the door a crack and reached up to disable the alarm before opening it the rest of the way, "Yeah, though we're actually working on that. We figured that the government made us for a reason, and probably doesn't really want to give us up. So we're working on bargaining with them, getting certain concessions and payments for services rendered."

"That'd be nice," Robin said, "Even if we're still working for the government like at Manticore, at least we'll have the freedom to choose to work for them."

Seth nodded. "There are a few who are determined not to work for the government ever again, but they don't have to. They can contribute to the rebuilding of Terminal City instead."

They moved into the dark interior of the store and Seth started murmuring to himself, browsing and picking up needed supplies as he saw them. Robin grabbed a basket from next to the register, and he murmured a grateful 'thanks' as he dumped an armload of nails, bolts, and screw into the basket.

They collected a few larger items along with the gas from a back room in the store, then Robin went behind the counter to grab some bags. "This feels so odd," she said, holding one open for Seth, "As if this store just sort of allows nighttime shopping."

"Ha," Seth remarked, "They wouldn't even let people like us shop here in the daytime if they knew who we were."

"Not everyone hates us," Robin said, grabbing a couple bags and following Seth out the door.

"Most people do," Seth said, "And not because they're hateful people or anything. All they know is what the media shows them, and the media likes making things look bad. It sells more."

"Yeah, I've noticed that," Robin said sourly. If she ever met up with a reporter or TV person in a dark alley… well, it just wouldn't be a good day for them. They weren't exactly her favorite people.

They checked the Pier 1 again, and were happy to see that the person closing up had finally left. "Good," Robin said, practically bouncing on her toes from excitement, "I'm going to have so much fun decorating…"

"Does Sidda stay out of the whole process?" Seth asked.

"Nope, she has no choice," Robin said, 'I usually make her paint or hang things."

Seth grinned. "I'm sure she loves you for that."

Robin winked at him. "Of course."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Wooo! I love reviews! Thank you, everyone, for reading and reviewing! I write better when I get reviews. Sorry the story is late, I was on vacation this week. ^_^ Oh, and go check out my friend CherryBerryGirls story FERAL. She's new to and has lots of cool ideas.

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 8

Filled to the brim with gas, tools and Pier 1 decorations, the U-Haul bumped its way through a small, heavily guarded side gate on the west side of Terminal City where few humans ever came. Transgenic soldiers wielding a small arsenal of weaponry watched as the truck rolled through the gate that was quickly shut behind the vehicle. The U-Haul rolled and spluttered to a stop beside Robin's apartment building on Oak Street.

"Think we woke anyone?" Robin asked as she opened the squeaking door.

Seth grinned roguishly before opening his own door. "Probably half the city, but what does it really matter? No one around here really sleeps much anyways."

Robin rolled her eyes and jumped down from the truck. Seth was already at her door, closing it behind her once she was on the ground. "Shouldn't we drop the truck at HQ?"

"I thought we could drive the truck over there in the morning, when everyone can help unload. And that way we could get your stuff out now," Seth said. He winked at her. "So no one tries to pick up any of your frilly things."

Robin giggled. "You make it sound like we raided an underwear store." They walked around to the back of the U-Haul, and Seth lifted the heavy door.

"No, a lingerie store would have been much more fun," he said, his grin widening, "It would have been even more fun if you would've put on a fashion show in the lingerie store."

"A private lingerie fashion show?" Robin asked as she climbed up inside the U-Haul, graceful in every action.

"I wouldn't have anyone else there besides us," Seth said. He flicked his gaze to her face. "So yes, private."

She fast-pitched a bundle of placemats at Seth's head. He caught the bundle and smiled as if she had handed it to him gently. "I'm guessing we'll have to work up to that?" he asked, setting the bundle to the side. He barely caught the couch pillow that was flung at his head.

"You'll have to work very, very hard for that," Robin said, throwing another pillow. He used the pillow he was holding to deflect the second one then shot forward to catch it before it could fall on the ground. He grinned up at Robin who was standing at the edge of the U-Haul, frowning at him.

"I'm sort of used to hard work," Seth said, "I think I can manage it, if you give me a chance." He put the pillows next to the placemats and turned back to her. "I also think I could improve my reflexes if you keep trying to kill me with throw pillows."

"Kill is a strong word," Robin said, smiling at him with sweet innocence, "It's more like maim."

"Oh, that's so much better," Seth said, grinning back at her. He was rewarded by a dark blue footrest flying at his face.

Together they unloaded her things from the back of the truck and set them to the side. Robin had picked out a neutral, blue, green and brown motif for her and Sidda's apartment, but she had also picked up some other stuff that she thought the other transgenic girls might like. Or transgenic guys, if they had a random urge to decorate. They left the extra Pier 1 gear and the rest of the goods in the truck and took the first load of Robin's things up to the apartment.

"Why do you need curtains?" Seth asked as they walked up the stairwell. He had a couple sets of curtains thrown over his shoulders, giving him the appearance of an ancient Greek or a Pre-Pulse frat boy. "You're on the third floor. No one's going to be looking in on you."

Robin shifted the rug she was carrying and tossed a look at him over her shoulder. "That's not the point."

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"Men," she said, shaking her head. "The point is that curtains frame a room, give it shape. The apartment will look better with curtains, trust me."

"I'll have to," Seth said, rolling his eyes, "Because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, you will soon enough." Her face slipped easily into a grin. "I'll even give you lessons in home-decorating."

Seth stopped on the 2nd floor landing and stared at her as she continued climbing. "Are you trying to con me into helping you decorate your apartment?"

"Maaaybe," she said. Her laughter echoed in the stairwell and someone on the floor below them shouted for her to be quiet. Seth rolled his shoulders and followed after her. Well, at least she wanted him around, even if it was to do her chores.

"Anything else you want me to do?" he asked, "I mean, when I'm not helping you decorate."

"We'll see," Robin said, "We might need a handyman." She opened the door to her floor and smiled at him. "You any good with a wrench?"

Seth smiled at her as he stopped by the door. "Anything in it for me?" He put his foot on the door, holding it open for her. She lingered in the doorway.

"Hmm, I dunno," she said, "Maybe if you fix my stove, I'll make you dinner. Sound like a fair trade?"

"Depends," he said, trying to keep his expression serious. "How good is your cooking?"

Robin frowned at him. "My cooking is perfectly fine! I'm a good cook." She flounced past him and then flashed a grin at him. "Fix my stove and I'll show you what I can do."

He smirked and walked after her, letting the door shut behind him. "That sounds sorta promiscuous…"

"I meant cooking wise!" she declared, rolling her eyes at him. She huffed and looked like she was contemplating flinging the rug at him. She probably would have if it hadn't meant dropping everything else she was carrying. "I swear, guys only have sex on their minds. Everything's sexual, no matter how innocent it sounds."

"Sorry," he said with a half-embarrassed shrug, "It's the way we're wired."

"Well, put in some effort to rewire yourself," Robin teased.

"I'll try, if that's what you want," Seth said. He winked at her, and she had to force herself not to blush.

"An attempt would be nice," she replied.

They walked up to her door, and Robin knocked gently. She didn't want to wake up Taylor if her daughter was sleeping. Her eyes slid to Seth for a brief moment. She supposed she would have to start referring to Taylor as their daughter…but she didn't want to start that just yet. There was a small jealous twinge in her chest when she thought about sharing Taylor with Seth. Maybe she would just stick with calling Taylor her daughter for now.

She was surprised when a sleepy-looking Alec opened the door. For a moment, panic for her roommate and her baby rose in her, and she had to stop herself from lunging at the male X5. Months of living on the edge of society had made her paranoid.

If Alec noticed her almost attack him, he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he smiled at her and Seth before inclining his head back towards the living room. "Sidda and the kid are asleep." He stepped out of their way and opened the door wider to let them in.

Robin hurried in, still thrown off by seeing Alec in their apartment. A smile came to her face when she saw Sidda on the couch, her head cushioned by a pillow from her bedroom and her folded hands. A light blanket was thrown over her, covering her up to her shoulders.

"How'd the shopping spree go?" Alec asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Surprising Robin yet again, he reached out and took the rug from her arms.

Seth set down the box of home-decorating things he had been carrying and glanced at Robin. "Fine, but I think Robin picked out enough stuff to decorate the entire apartment building."

Robin pouted as she put the rest of the stuff on the small dining table. "I had to leave most of it behind. It wouldn't fit in the U-Haul."

"So now we can only decorate half the building since we had to bring home gas and building supplies," Seth said with a cheeky smile, "The tragedy."

"Hey, I care about that stuff too," Robin exclaimed, eyes widened indignantly. She popped him on the arm before turning back to Alec. "Is Taylor in my room?"

"Yeah, Sidda put her back there. She woke up a little while ago, but she went back to sleep." He peeked into the wicker box that Seth had brought up. "Dude, are those Yankee Candles? Those are pretty rare."

"And honeysuckle-scented," Seth added, making a face. "It was awful, Alec. The whole store smelled like a perfume factory."

"It did not," Robin said, "You're being a baby about it." She glanced at Alec who was pulling the candles out of the box to get a better look at them. "Did you put Taylor back to bed or was Sidda awake?"

"Nah, I did it," Alec said nonchalantly as he dug deeper into the box. "Sidda was really tired, so I didn't want to bother her. Cool lamp." He lifted a small silver lamp out of the box and set it on table beside the pile of candles.

"I'm surprised Taylor didn't start screaming when you picked her up," Seth said, smirking at Alec, "Crystal always loses it when you try to hold her."

"Crystal's a brat. She cries with lots of people," Alec said defensively, "Unlike Taylor who's a reasonable enough kid."

"I'm not sure how much reasoning a one month old can do," Robin said as she rummaged through the placemats. "But I'll take that as a compliment for her."

"Maybe she was just too scared by your ugly face to cry," Seth suggested.

Alec gave a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, that's it. But if that's the case, she'll probably go into shock when she gets a good look at _your_ face."

Seth rolled his eyes and ignored the comment as he turned to Robin. "Me and Alec can go get the rest of your stuff while you check on Taylor, if you'd like."

Robin put her hand on the table as she considered the idea. "Do you care about being volunteered?" she asked, looking at Alec. The X5 put down the throw pillow he had been playing with and shrugged.

"Whatever," he said, smirking, "Somehow over the years I sort of got used to being told what to do."

Both Robin and Seth snorted. That was a Manticore up-bringing for you. The two guys headed for the door while Robin went toward the back hallway, desperate to see her baby. She glanced at Sidda on her way. Her best friend certainly had a lot of talking to do when she woke up.

------

The next morning, Joshua was up with the dawn and in his studio in HQ. The scattered dream about dark tunnels and scarlet flashes he had had last night needed to be painted, he knew it in his soul. Lucky he had a new canvas that Max's nice sister Syl had brought him from her last run into the city with Krit. They were both nice, Syl and Krit, and they had made Max very happy when they showed up a couple weeks ago.

Joshua liked it when Max and everyone was happy, but it didn't seem like anyone had been really truly happy for…a long time. Everyone was tight, tense, about how the humans hated them. Joshua didn't entirely understand why humans hated them, but he accepted it. It was another part of life that needed to be painted, and he'd do it. Right after he painted his dream.

He set down his mug of hot chocolate on the corner of his work table as he approached his canvas and easel. The mug almost toppled over from the precarious position he had put it in, and he had to scramble to catch it. Even then, some of the drink splashed out and scorched his hand.

"Ow! Oh, ow, hothothothot," he spluttered, half-dancing while shifting the mug from hand to hand. Almost howling, he set the mug down on the table again, this time a foot from the edge, and stuffed his scalded hand into his mouth.

"You okay, Joshua?" Dix called from the other room. He and Luke were watching the news on one of the TVs that Luke had fixed and eating an early breakfast of Pop Tarts and dry cereal. Hot breakfast, if there was any this morning, would be served later, at 8:00.

Joshua nodded to himself before realizing that Dix couldn't see him. He pulled his hand out of his mouth. "Yes, just spilled Gem's hot chocolate."

"She'll probably give you more if you go ask," Luke said helpfully, "Unless she's in a bitchy mood…"

"S'okay. Joshua won't bother Gem." He bared his teeth and growled at the offending mug before turning to his easel. Immediately the creamy canvas put him at ease.

Joshua loved painting. He loved the way his brush dashed color across the blank canvas, the bright or dark hues spreading over the taunt cream cloth. He loved the paint flecks in his hair, on his face, covering his hands. He loved the acrylics, the oils, the watercolors: he adored the whole enormous, beautiful, emotional mess of painting.

Snatching up one of his bigger paintbrushes, he put it in his mouth and tilted his head to the side. An empty canvas was always the most fun. He reached over and picked up a can of black paint. Popping it open, he took a deep but brief breath of the paint, savoring the smell of it. It was a good smell, a familiar smell. Though he couldn't smell it too long because Max would get mad at him. He could remember that Max had gotten mad at him before for sniffing paint but the memory was hazy.

While he considered what to start with first, red flashes or black tunnels, Joshua could overhear Luke and Dix's conversation over the mumble of the TV even though he wasn't really paying attention to them.

"What makes it an assassination instead of a murder?" Luke asked, "Ditch-diggers didn't exactly have to know these things." Joshua spat out his brush and caught it. He dipped it into the black paint as Dix answered Luke.

"An assassination is when someone kills a person who is important or well-known. Murders are just killing a nobody. Also, assassinations are almost always premeditated."

"So what do they call killing a transgenic?" Luke asked, "Since we're not really well-known but not nobodies either since everyone feels the need to hate us." Joshua's hand moved in a strong, bold arch across the canvas, a black ooze following behind his stroke.

"A heroic act," Dix said, and both of them snickered at the dark humor. Joshua rolled his eyes. He liked Dix and Luke, and he considered them friends now, but sometimes they were really pessimistic. His paint brush drifted in a circle around the canvas, and he let their conversation fade into the background again.

"I don't see why this guy qualifies as assassinated though," Luke said, returning his attention back to whatever was on the news, "I mean, he checks in this hotel and someone kills him. It was probably random."

Joshua needed gray, but he couldn't the can. He put his brush down and started rummaging through his supplies. He had had gray yesterday, he knew it, but now he couldn't find it.

"It can't be random if it was carried out by multiple attackers," said Dix, "Someone planned this and did a good job of it too. That's why they say he was assassinated."

"But they say he didn't have any identification on him or in his room so they don't know if he's famous or not," Luke replied, "He could've just been some teacher or something. He looks old."

Ah, there it was. Joshua picked up the can of gray paint and screwed the top off of it. With a twist of his wrist, he sent a splash of paint across the canvas, ruining the complete blackness. He picked up a smaller paint brush and started making the swirls to create the tunnel effect.

"Being old doesn't make you a teacher, Luke. And maybe having five bullets put through your heart is enough to make you important," Dix said. "And he was staying at the Max which is one of the last hotels left in Seattle, even if it is a garbage heap."

Joshua lifted his head. Did they say something about Max? He walked over to the open doorway of his studio and looked at the mule and the nomalie. "What about Max?"

"Not that Max, the hotel Max," Dix said. There wasn't irritation in his voice, just fact. He motioned towards the TV. "A human staying there was killed by some of guys in black armor outfits. Might be Familiars, might not."

"Why Familiars after him?" Joshua asked, stepping into the room to get a better look at the TV. There was one of those demon lady reporters talking while the screen showed images of the hotel. A series of pictures from the crime scene passed by and then they showed the victim's face.

The paint brush fell from Joshua's hand, startling both Luke and Dix.

"Joshua?" Luke asked but Joshua didn't respond.

He staggered toward the TV and fell on his knees in front of it. With a trembling hand, he reached out and touched his paint-stained fingertips to the screen, pointed, ragged fingernails clicking against the glass. The static fuzz zinged around his hand, but he didn't notice it. Luke and Dix shared a look behind his back, he heard their clothing rustle as they turned their heads, but it didn't register. His throat closed as he choked on the one word that was pounding through his mind over and over at the sight of the lifeless but far too familiar face on the screen.

"Father."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, Deanna, Sandra, Alexa, Stargate fan, 452max, x5, and Marcus Sylenus! I appreciate you all SO much!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 9

When Mole showed up at her door to tell her that Sandeman had been murdered, Max didn't say anything. She just got dressed, put her hair up in a ponytail and went straight to HQ where she locked herself into her office, or at least that was what Mole told the others.

At first, while everyone was still in shock, they had left her alone, but now, a couple hours later, they were starting to worry about her. Shouldn't she be out there, talking about it with the rest of them? If nothing else, Joshua, who was an inconsolable, destructive wreck, needed her badly. Alec was doing his best to calm the big guy down, but Joshua had already shredded half his art work and the prospect for the rest of it wasn't good.

Mole had tried first to get Max to come out, if you could call growling and banging on the door giving it a try. Gem had given it her best shot, and so had Dalton, Luke, Rhiannon, Everett, Tristan, and Maize after her. Even Sibil had been called away from the infirmary to knock on her door and say a few coaxing words. Now they had Syl and Krit tag-teaming at the door.

"Max, get out of there," Syl demanded, her hands on her hips. Twenty minutes of trying to get her possibly catatonic sister to come out of her office on top of finding out her…engineer? was dead was giving her a massive headache. She kicked the door. It also wasn't doing much for her patience. "Sulking isn't going to do you any good."

"Gee, Syl, you're such a kind, understanding person." Krit leaned against the wall beside of the door and smiled softly at Syl who glared back at him. "I just don't get why she doesn't want to come out here and hang out with you. Right, Maxie?"

"Get spun," Syl snapped, but Krit knew she didn't mean it. Syl lived to insult him and not mean it.

"Hear how she treats me, Max?" He dodged when Syl tried to punch him.

Giving up on attacking Krit, Syl decided to switch her persuading tactics. Leaning against the door, she changed her tone from commanding to pleading. "Come on, Max, we'll get some coffee, talk it over." She knocked lightly on the office door, and Krit snorted. As if Max didn't already know they were there. "This isn't the end of the world, you know, not really."

"I don't think she wants to come out," Krit sighed. He flicked his dark brown gaze to Syl's hunter green eyes and snickered. "Max is smart enough to know that she doesn't want to deal with you."

"Shut up, Krit," Syl said, her scowl ferocious. She paced in front of the door and chewed on her cuticles. Whipping around, she pounded on the door. "Max, come out right now, or I'll…I'll kick down this door!"

"Somehow, sweetheart," he drawled out the endearment until it was almost ironic, "I don't think you're handling this situation appropriately."

Syl whirled on him, her long blond hair flying. "I said shut UP, Krit!" She raised a hand to hit him again, but he caught her by the wrist and rolled his eyes. She always had such a temper when she was upset.

"You know, baby, you've got a head as hard as a titanium wall," he said, yanking her to him. She popped him in the nose and wrenched her arm away when he yelped.

"And you're about as smooth as a pine cone," she growled. She crossed her arms over her chest like a petulant child and jerked her head to the door. "You talk to her."

"I am talking to her," he said, rubbing his nose. He wished that Syl didn't just assume that he was indestructible. "She's just choosing not to talk back. Or come out. So you keep up with whatever you're doing, maybe it'll start working."

"Krit, if you don't-"

Loud, clunky footsteps combined with an electronic whirrr rounded the corner, silencing Syl and Krit's argument. Logan put a hand on the wall and looked at Max's siblings, his blue eyes determined and unwavering as they both stared at him. "How about I talk to her."

Krit and Syl looked at each other, easily speaking with their eyes. They trusted Logan, but it was more because Max vouched for him than they actually believed the guy was on their side. Ordinaries were untrustworthy; it was a lesson that they had learned in childhood that had been reinforced in them as adults.

"You think you've got a better chance than us?" Syl asked.

"I don't know, but I'd like to try," Logan replied. Through the door, Syl heard Max move, her clothing scraping against the concrete ground. That simple movement, the first anyone had heard for the past few hours, was enough for her. Syl lowered her arms and stepped to Krit's side, leaving Logan an open path to the doorway.

Logan nodded at both of them and walked over to the door. He knocked three times and then leaned against the door. "Hey you," he said gently, "Open the door when you feel like it."

"See," Krit said to Syl, nudging her, "He knows what he's doing."

Syl responded grabbing his arm and dragging him down the hallway. "We'll be in the common room," she told Logan over her shoulder, "If she needs us." He nodded and smiled to himself as they left, Krit complaining that Syl was manhandling him.

Logan sighed and turned around, resting his back against the door. "Your brother and sister really care about you, Max. They all do," he said, still quiet. He slid down the door and sat against it. He knew this was going to take a while. "And so do I."

---------------------------

Headquarters was packed with every transgenic in T.C. beside the scant few that had to continue on the constant guard duty. It seemed like the barriers and prejudices between the different species were broken by the unexpected event that no one could quite decide on how they were supposed to approach. Nomalies sat and talked with the older X series while transhumans consoled confused X8s and X9s who didn't know why the adults were fighting or why everyone was watching the dead guy on the TV.

HQ was not enormous, so transgenics had crammed themselves into every free corner of the space, some of them retreating into newly renovated offices or backrooms. They were all trying to figure out what Sandeman's death meant for their little community and for the world as a whole since he was the only one who knew Max's, and the whole transgenic race's, true purpose. Since the kitchen and mess hall were some of the largest places in HQ and it was around lunch time, a lot of people had migrated to those rooms.

"Why was he here, anyways?" Dalton asked. He was sitting at a round table in the back of the room, leaning back in his chair with his tongue set against his clenched teeth. Every now and then he would spit out a question, expecting the older ones to reply.

Seth looked up at the boy, wishing he could answer the question. Instead, he just put his head back into his hands and glared at his cup of water. The question he kept asking himself and rationalizing over and over again was why he hadn't stopped and tried to help like Robin had suggested. If they had just checked on the situation, just for a moment, maybe Sandeman would still be alive.

But, then again, if they had stopped and if Sandeman had been killed anyway, the death would have been blamed on transgenics. Or he and Robin could have been killed too if it was Familiars, and the media would have still blamed the death on them and negative attention would be on T.C. There was no easy answer to his question, but when he got a glimpse of rational thought, he knew they had made the right decision when they chose to drive away.

"No one knows, Dalton," Gem said. She was sitting beside him, cradling a sleeping Crystal against her chest. "But we can guess that he was coming to talk to us. Or to Max."

"I just wish we had done something," Robin groaned. She had nearly had a panic attack when she found out that it had been Sandeman that had been taken out at the hotel last night. Poor Max! From what Seth and Dalton had said the other day while they were touring T.C., Max had really been relying on Sandeman to tell her why he had created her the way he had, and there was also the chance that Sandeman could have figured out the virus and fixed it. Now both those opportunities were gone, and Robin knew that it was all her fault. If she had just convinced Seth that they should have stopped those people... She laid her cheek against Taylor's head and sighed. Was life never going to be fair to them?

Perched backwards in a computer chair across the table, Sidda made a face at Robin. She knew from the pained look on Robin's face that her best friend was blaming herself. "Stop that. You probably couldn't have done anything, not really. And especially if those guys were Familiars. You would have been killed."

Beside Robin, Sampson rumbled deep in his expansive chest and patted her arm. "That would not have helped anyone."

Robin couldn't even smile at him. "I know, but I keep thinking that we could have changed it. Maybe if we had come back and told someone..."

"I don't think anyone would have thought it was important enough to go back," said Gem. She cuddled Crystal to her and stroked the baby's cheek even while giving Seth and Robin a serious look. "We're basically behind enemy lines anyway, even in T.C.. Going out into the city is like going into no man's land and entering that hotel would have been suicide."

Sidda gave Gem a smirk. "Thanks for putting it in Manticore terms." She leveled her hazel eyes with Robin's blue ones. "Maybe that'll knock some sense into her head."

"That's all Manticore was useful for," Dalton said. When the others stared at him, he gave a hard smile and explained, "Knocking things into your head."

"Good old Manticore," Sidda said, lifting her glass of water into the air in a mock toast, "Oh, how we miss your cold, metal hallways and brainwashing ways." Setting the glass down without drinking, she spun around in the computer chair, her arms folded on the back of it.

Seth snorted and lifted his head from his hands. He looked at Robin, who had ended up in-between Sampson and Gem somehow, and saw his guiltiness lining her face. Trying to catch her gaze proved futile since she was staring blankly into the space in front of her. Sighing, he pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. "Robin, let's go for a walk."

"I don't really feel like it," Robin said, huddling further into her chair. She breathed in Taylor's comforting baby scent and tried to tell herself that it wasn't her fault, but there was a pervading sense that she had failed an extremely important mission.

Seth walked up behind her chair and carefully yanked it backward with enough force to pull her with it but not take it out from under her. Sliding his hands under her arms, he lifted her to her feet before she could protest. Fighting back was out of the question when she had Taylor in her arms but that didn't stop her from glaring at him and stepping back from him.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. Taylor, on the other hand, cooed and waved her arms.

"Just come with me," Seth said, "I need to talk to you."

"I think we talked enough last night," Robin replied, moving back towards her seat. Although she wasn't blaming him, Seth had been the one that had told her they shouldn't go in. She should have argued with him instead of just agreeing. She saw Sidda watching her and immediately the shorter woman mouthed, 'Go!' Robin scowled back at her and shook her head. She didn't really feel like doing anything right now except holding Taylor and humming to her. Of course, Seth had other ideas.

"Don't be that way," he said, cupping his hand around her elbow. "It's too crowded in here for me."

"Then you go for a walk," Robin said, frowning. "I like being around people."

He gently drew her toward him. "Robin, just come with me. Taylor might like some fresh air."

"It's raining," Robin complained, but she slowly stepped closer to him. "We'd have to stay inside."

"We can walk around the parking garage, then," he replied, giving her elbow a squeeze. She hesitated, and he sighed. "Please?"

"Don't make the boy beg," Gem said, shaking her head, "He makes the most pathetic face."

"We'll keep the mood sober and dreary while you're gone," Sidda said, a half-smile on her face. Robin threw her a glare, but Sidda only smiled in return. Robin looked back at Seth's hopeful blue-green eyes and lowered her chin, a subtle nod of acquiescence. Without any more argument, they walked out of the room, Seth's hand still on Robin's elbow as they navigated the crowded room.

When they were gone, Dalton turned to Gem and jerked his thumb toward the door. "Dude, what was that about?"

Gem reached over and squeezed his cheek playfully. "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older." Dalton groaned in irritation and pulled away from her.

In the hallway, Seth led Robin away from the renovated parts of HQ. They walked out through a door that led to the parking deck that most of the transgenics once lived in before they had cleaned out the apartments and fixed up HQ and Terminal City as a whole. Robin was silent, refusing to talk to Seth, but Taylor gurgled and smiled, not caring that her mother was in a bad mood.

They walked through the parking deck, passing by burnt out trash barrels and cardboard boxes. It was awful to think that transgenics had once lived here in this squalor. At the back of her mind, an impossible to kill voice insisted that Manticore would never have let them live like this. She beat it back with images of Isolation and Psy-Ops, and the voice shut up with a hiss and retreated to the dark corner it clung to.

"Robin, are you upset that we didn't help last night?" Seth asked bluntly.

"Yes...no." Robin stopped and looked at Seth. "I just think that if we had done something, we might have saved him." Her gaze drifted to the floor and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She hadn't realized she had been so tense. "I just feel so bad for Max."

Grimacing, Seth grabbed an exposed pipe and turned around to lean against it. "I know," he said, "But you know we couldn't have done anything. Or at least we wouldn't have done anything helpful."

She frowned at him even though she knew he was right. "You don't know that for sure."

"Robin, there were fifteen people working that assassination," he said, "And then there's the added threat of them probably being Familiars. We would have been killed, and transgenics as a whole would be thrown into the spotlight and painted as murderers and assassins, even more so than we already are."

"But we didn't do anything at all!" she exclaimed, guilt pouring out of her, "We just drove by and went raiding for home decorations and building supplies." She hugged Taylor tighter as the baby started to whimper, responding to Robin's distress.

Pushing away from the pipe, Seth walked over to Robin, closing the distance between the two of them. With surprising tenderness, he put one hand on the top of Taylor's head and hesitantly reached out to cup Robin's face with the other. She pulled away at first but eventually let her chin drop, exhausted by emotions that had always been denied to her by Manticore. They were so tiring, but it was hard to think about life without them anymore.

"I'm sorry, Robin," Seth said, his voice rough with sincerity, "If we could have done something to logically improved the condition of affairs, I would have been fine with engaging the situation." His thumb moved back and forth across her face in a reassuring gesture as his eyes stayed locked with hers. "But if we had gone in there, I truly doubt that Taylor would have had her mother today."

After a moment, Robin said in an almost silent whisper, "She wouldn't have her father, either."

Instead of replying, Seth only nodded and put his arms around both Robin and Taylor in a simple hug, pulling them both close to him.

-------------------------------------------

Sidda moved carefully and quickly through HQ, trying to make sure no one jostled her and the plates she was carrying as she made her way to Joshua's studio. As far as she or anyone else knew, Joshua and Alec hadn't surfaced for lunch or breakfast. Gem insisted that they eat, and Sidda quietly volunteered when everyone else had looked away, not wanting to face Joshua's raw sorrow when they could only conjure up annoyance that Sandeman had died before any of them could get their hands of him. Sidda didn't know Joshua, but she thought that may be to her advantage, though she wasn't entirely certain on how that would be a good thing.

No one was sitting in the area outside of Joshua's studio, and a shiver ran down Sidda's back. Everywhere else in HQ was packed with transgenics and it was impossible to escape the noise. Here, it was quiet besides the hum of distant voices. Trying not to step on any of the pieces, she walked through artwork that had been decimated and thrown from the studio.

There was even more destruction when she walked into the studio. Canvases had been ripped, crushed paint cans were slowly leaking puddles of color on the floor, and she could make out the remains of an easel or two. Abstract art work littered the room like someone had tossed it in the air like confetti. She imagined that hours and days of hard work had been annihilated in a matter of minutes. So much time to create, so little to destroy. Just like taking a life.

At first she didn't see anyone in the small side room that served as Joshua's studio, but she could smell Alec's distinct scent and another scent, this one with an earthy undertone to it. She put the plates and bottles of water down on a table that was covered with surviving art supplies. Something shuffled to her right and the hair on the back of her neck rose as she stopped herself from outright attacking whoever it was.

Turning to the right, she saw Alec sitting on the ground beside a massive, dark shape in the corner. Long, straggly brown hair shielded Joshua's face, but she saw the huge hands that he had pressed to his head, pointed, claw-like fingernails resting in his hair.

Alec's hand was on Joshua's shoulder, a gesture of brotherly affection, and he looked up at her with tired eyes. "Hey, Sidda."

"Hey," she said. She pointed at the two plates table. "Gem didn't want you guys to starve, so she sent me down here with food and some drinks." She smiled apologetically. "We've run out of everything besides water. Hope you don't mind."

"Water's fine with me, and Josh'll drink anything," he said. He squeezed the transhuman's shoulder, and Joshua responded by pulling his arms tighter around his knees.

Sidda's heart hurt as she looked at Joshua. His pain reminded of her own agony when Maria Clare had died. Sighing, she turned her gaze back to Alec. She didn't want to intrude on Joshua's grieving. "I'll go tell Gem I've fed you."

"Wait," Alec said.

"Oh, sorry, did you need something else?" she asked, a bit embarrassed that she hadn't asked before. Simple manners that she had learned at the convent were sometimes overridden by Manticore efficiency, to her own shame. "I should've asked..."

Alec shook his head, almost smirking at her. "No, I just..." His voice trailed off, and he glanced at Joshua. "Joshua hasn't met you yet. Josh, this is Sidda. Sidda, Joshua." Joshua didn't look up at her.

Sidda bit her lip as she looked at Joshua. It didn't look like he was in the mood to meet anyone, but then again, Alec was probably just trying to bring him out of his shell, force him to speak again. Sidda took a step closer to them. "Yeah, that's right. I think we accidentally skipped the studio the other day."

"He almost never leaves," Alec said, smiling as he looked at Joshua. "And now he's going to have to stay in here even more since he recently took a dislike to his current collection..." He picked up a piece of a painting and looked at it ruefully before tossing it to the side and lifting his gaze up at Sidda. He wanted her to stay; her neutral presence in the face of Joshua's smothering sorrow was refreshing, and though he didn't want to admit it just yet, he liked being around her.

"I can see that," Sidda said. She bent down and picked up half of a canvas, careful to keep hold on both sides of the ruined work. It was a landscape of the skyline of Seattle as it would have been seen from the top of HQ. The T.C. flag waved in the foreground, and behind it, the city was lit by purple, pinks, grays, and blues, reveling in one of its rare bright dawns. It was beyond beautiful, crafted with tiny, accurate brushstrokes. Art wasn't really her thing, but this piece was amazing. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked down at Joshua. Beauty and the beast, all wrapped into one huge package. "It's so beautiful, Joshua..."

"Doesn't matter," a shattered voice rattled from behind the veil of silky brown hair. "Nothing matters."

Alec looked up at her, and she saw pleading in his normally bright eyes, wanting her help with what seemed like a lost cause. Sidda kneeled down, her knees hitting the concrete. With a careful touch, she shifted the damaged canvases and paintings around until she found the matching piece to the painting she had found. Steeling herself, she crawled over and sat cross-legged beside Joshua but didn't touch him. Some people didn't like strangers touching them, especially when they were emotional.

"I think we could fix some of it," she said, putting both of the pieces in her lap. Turning them around, she fit them together and held them in place at the edges where they had been ripped apart. She lifted it in the air to scrutinize it. "There's a seam down the middle of it, but with a little touch up, it should be perfect again." She put the pieces back down and looked at them, remembering her year in Italy. "When something is broken, there is the possibility for it to be remade even better than before." Maria Clare's voice was warm in her ears, and she could feel the soft hand patting her arm.

"Manticore teach Sidda?" Joshua's voice was dull but there was a subtle edge of sarcasm to his statement. Alec sighed in relief. At least the big fella was talking again. It seemed like all Joshua had done for the past few hours was sob, break things, scream and finally hunch over in silence. Talking was a big improvement.

Sidda looked over at Alec and gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "My mother taught me that," she said, answering in what she thought was the most appropriate way to answer Joshua's sorrow.

Joshua lifted his head to look at her, confusion and pain darkening his startling blue gaze. "Sidda not have mother. Not at Manticore."

"I found one, on a mission," she said. Something about being around all these other transgenics was making her soft. "She liked poppies and fresh bread, and she smelled like peppermints." She shook her head and looked back at him. "What was your dad like?"

Joshua stared at her for a moment, and both Alec and Sidda thought he was going to hide in himself again. Quietly, he started to talk. "Father liked to read. Paint. Father smelled like...pipe smoke." Slowly, with Alec and Sidda sitting on either side of him, he told them about Sandeman. They silently listened to him talk about a man they had never met but who had a hand deep in their existence, clamped around their genetic makeup.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Oh my gosh, I've never had this many reviews on one chapter! A humongous thank you, thank you, thank you to Alexa, x5 416, Dark girl, Sandra, Jo, Stargate fan, Deanna, Just a girl, Samantha, Winchester girl, Kay, 452max, and Crystal Moon Magic!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 10

It was dark when Max finally came out. Logan had fallen asleep slumped against the door, his head angled in an odd way that guaranteed he would have a crick in the morning. Max smiled at the way his glasses were slightly askew and falling off his face. Suddenly, violently, she suppressed the urge to right them. She couldn't touch him. Never, ever. Now there was no hope of ever curing the virus.

She leaned against the wall and fought hard against the tears that were trying to gain control over her. She won, but a few escaped her defenses. She hastily brushed them away, and even as one part of her mind registered the feelings the tears represented, another part was coldly calculating what she would have to do now.

Staying with Logan would just be torture for the both of them, like pouring slat into an open wound. She had seen Asha and Logan, she had had flings with other guys before Logan. She knew they had a chance of moving on if they were far apart. But if they were together, in constant contact, they would never move forward.

Max had been persuaded once before that leaving was an act of cowardice, that running away from the situation wouldn't help anything. But this time she didn't think so. Circumstances were different. This time it would be better for everyone if she left.

She could at least do it properly she supposed. Make formal goodbyes, let everyone know that it was time for her to move on. She'd helped get Terminal City on its feet, and it would be okay without her now. There were plenty of leader types waiting for a chance to show what they were good at anyway. And she knew Logan would always keep an eye on it for her.

Her mind was just about made up when Logan stirred. "Max."

Max's legs went became slightly jelly-like at the sound of his warm voice, softened with sleep. Her heart and every muscle and bone in her body ached for him, to be able to crawl next to him and have him hold her, comfort her, stroke her hair and tell her everything was going to be all right. But if he was able to do that, then she wouldn't be nearly as upset as she was right now.

Damn Sandeman! She had needed him. He had created her, designed her for some stupid unknown purpose, and then left her to deal with one of Manticore's most horrible creations, this virus. He should've been there to help her out of it, it was only right. But he had to go and get himself killed.

"Max, you okay?" Logan asked, even though he knew the answer. He stood up and put his hand on her arm, and Max had to control an automatic flinch. He was wearing gloves; he always did now when he came to Terminal City. But touching each other through gloved hands wasn't going to be enough for long.

She smiled sadly as one of Logan's fingers traced the creases in her cupped palm, "I'll be ok eventually," she said softly, avoiding looking at him.

He put his other hand to her face and tilted it until she had to look at him, "Max, don't let this get you down. We've got plenty of leads, there are still Manticore geneticists around and other higher-ups who worked with Sandeman himself. We'll figure the virus out, we'll find out what your code means. It may take longer, but it's not impossible. We can do it, Max."

Max hesitated. Logan sounded so reasonable. Like always.

"I could be of use and keep you safe," Max started, wrapping her hands around his as she lowered them from her face. "I could go look for the geneticists, for connections to Sandeman…"

Logan shook his head. "You know why we've been saving those leads, Max. Terminal City can't spare you yet; it'll descend into chaos if you leave. There's no one else here that everyone will listen to." His face became eager as his own arguments started to sound more and more logical to him. "And you know I'll be fine, Max. We've got a better idea of how this virus works, and we know what we can and can't do. And I've made it through several scares already. Next time we mess up, a little transgenic blood and I should be fine." He grinned at her, and Max couldn't help but chuckle. Logan was practically half-transgenic already.

"It'll be ok," Logan promised, squeezed both her hands. He released one but kept hold of the other.

Max wished she could agree with him, but she wasn't sure. If Terminal City needed her so badly, how would she ever have time to go check out their leads? The trails would get cold eventually. The longer they waited, the less hopeful she and Logan could be of ever finding a cure to the virus.

But she would put on a brave face for Logan and the others right now. She would reassure them, and then she would think about this later, on her own. There were still some decisions to be made.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Max said, smiling at Logan. She looked away quickly. "Hey, is it anywhere around a meal time? I'm starving."

Logan laughed, "Actually, I think it is. Let's go see what they've got cooking."

The mess hall was crowded; all of those who had been hanging around HQ had shifted to the mess hall at about the same time. No one noticed Max at first, but after a minute or two a hush spread around the hall. The conversation sprung up again quickly a few seconds later.

Max grimaced. "Wonderful."

"Well, when you go and lock yourself in a tiny little office for a long time you're sort of asking for attention."

Max snorted. "So what, now I'm an attention seeker?"

"Well, you do have a habit of stealing the spotlight…"

"You're just jealous," she said, smirking at him as they moved into the line for food.

Logan's reply was lost in the flood of greetings.

"Max, hey!"

"Max, how are ya?"

"Want extra servings, Max? You've been in there for quite a while, haven't you?"

"You ok, Max?"

Max just smiled and nodded, not really ready to answer anything but the most basic questions. "Hey! Nah, My stomach still holds the same amount of food even if I've denied it for a while. But thanks!"

"Hmm, where to sit?" Max said, surveying the room. She really didn't want to be pestered right now, but she knew she should sit with everyone in the mess hall instead of retreating to her office. She didn't want to be labeled the anti-social, hermit leader.

"Well, if you're willing…" Logan hesitated and Max looked at him, curious.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Logan said quickly, "but Seth and Robin drove by the hotel last night when Sandeman was being attacked. If you want, they could probably tell you what they saw."

Max stopped and looked at him, stunned. She had forgotten that Seth and Robin made a run in that area where Sandeman was killed.

"Oh," she said, her thoughts flying internally. She wondered what they had seen. If they had seen anything, they would be feeling terribly guilty, especially after Max made such a big deal out of it.

"Let's sit with them," Max said, looking around for the two. She had to convince them that they couldn't have done anything to prevent Sandeman's death. Even if they could've, she knew what feeling that type of guilt could do to a person. She didn't want anyone to feel that because of her.

Max spotted Seth and Robin at a table with Sidda, Alec, Dalton, and Gem. She pointed them out to Logan, and they started making their way there. She stopped short of the table and spun around to look at Logan, almost upsetting her food.

"Logan, what about Joshua? Oh, no, he must be miserable, I have to go see him!" She started to hand Logan her plate, but he shoved it firmly back into her hands.

"No, Max, you need to eat first. You said you were starving."

"He's doing ok, Max," Max turned to look at Alec and was surprised by how exhausted and worn-out he looked. She hadn't really expected Sandeman's death to really affect him. Or was this guilt over her virus problem too? How many people had she brought pain to?

"Then why isn't he here?" Max asked, concern over Joshua making her voice sharp.

"He wanted to stay in the studio," Sidda said, "But he's eating. He's upset, but he's ok."

"See, he's eating, you need to eat too," Logan said, sitting down at the table.

"Men," Max muttered with a small smile as she sat down next to him.

"We know what's important," Alec said, nodding at Logan.

Max rolled her eyes. She probably would have gone to see Joshua anyway, if she didn't have some people to talk to here too. She looked at Sidda curiously. So she'd been in the studio with Alec and Joshua… that was interesting. Something else to think about later.

She looked at Robin and Seth, noting how quiet they were. She took a few bites of her food, speeding up the rate she was eating as her stomach demanded more food.

Robin noticed Max's attention. "Max, there's something you should know," Robin said. It was obvious how miserable she was feeling; her plate of food had barely been touched, and she was twisting her paper napkin to shreds.

"I know," Max said, sparing the poor girl the long explanation. She glanced at Logan. "I mean, I don't know the whole dealio, but I know you guys were there. And I don't care. If I'd been driving by that night, I probably wouldn't have stopped either. You had no way of knowing that was Sandeman, no one could've." She smiled at Robin and then Seth. "It's ok, I promise. It wasn't something any of us could've known we needed to prevent. We had no idea Sandeman was here."

Robin slumped a bit, relief obvious in her more relaxed posture. "You sure?" she asked, looking up from her shredded napkin.

Seth, sitting next to her, gently pried the napkin pieces out of Robin's hand with his free hand. Max smiled as she realized that little Taylor was held proactively in his other arm. She didn't think it'd be long before the two X5s got together. That was one thing to be happy about.

"She's sure," Seth said, looking at Max. Max nodded.

"You're just being a stubborn dork like usual," Sidda said bluntly to Robin, "No more excuses about not eating your food. If you don't eat it…"

"You won't eat it," Robin said, putting a protective arm around her plate.

"No, but I will," Alec said, leaning across the table to eye her food.

"Hey, back off!" Robin said, very protective of her meal now that the others wanted it.

Sidda laughed and shoved her friend lightly. "Just eat it already and you won't have to worry about Alec."

"But you might have to worry about me," Dalton said, grinning. He had no qualms about trying to steal Robin's food.

"You do, you die," Gem said sternly. Dalton made a face at her and Gem rolled her eyes in response. "You're such a kid," she said.

"Am not!" he protested, sitting up a little straighter as if extra height would grant him manhood-status.

"Hey, Max," Seth interrupted, "Robin and I were talking about something earlier today, and we wanted to see what you thought of it."

Max nodded and lay down her fork; her plate was clean anyway.

"We want to do something for you." He held up a hand to stop Max's protests. "I know you don't blame us for Sandeman's death, but there are more people than jobs around Terminal City, anyway. We want to make ourselves useful."

"We want to trace Sandeman," Robin said, getting to the point. She looked at Logan. "Maybe you could help us with that."

Seth jumped in again. "We figured Sandeman probably left a lot of important notes back at his home. Maybe even a close associate who knows a little bit about his work. What if we went and checked it out? Maybe we could get you some useful stuff."

"You know, Seth's right," Alec said, listening to the conversation, "I wouldn't mind having something else to do either, and I still owe you, Max."

"Yeah, for life," Max muttered, but she was wearing a half-smile.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I could go track down one of the Manticore geneticists for you or something. Or join Seth and Robin's mission, whatever you want."

"I'll go too!" Dalton jumped in.

"Ha, I don't think so," Gem said.

"You can't decide for me!" Dalton protested.

"Nothing's decided yet," Max said. But she was leaning forward and her eyes were bright and eager. No matter what she said, it was obvious that Seth's proposal had excited her.

"We probably could do it, if you give me a few days to see what tracks I can find," Logan said, looking at Max. He was actually relieved that Seth and Robin had come up with this idea. That meant that Max could stay in Terminal City and not fret about never finding the cure. With Sandeman coming to Seattle, it also meant that he might actually have something to work with when trying to trace the guy. And being able to send people after some of the leads he'd found… well, he couldn't help but be excited as well at the prospect of a cure. It would seem so much closer if he knew some of the transgenics were really going after it.

"Are you sure though?" Max asked, trying to not sound like they were fulfilling a desperate wish of hers. "You'll always have a job here as a medic, Seth, and Robin, you just arrived. Alec, I know it'd be hard on Joshua if you left."

"We're sure," Seth and Robin said.

"Joshua's got you, Max, and I can call. And it's about time I saw a little more of the world," Alec said, smirking, "The United States isn't exactly utopia."

"No kidding," Dalton muttered, glaring at Gem.

"You better not plan on leaving Taylor with me," Sidda said. "I am _not_ being left behind while you all go on adventures. And the kid needs her mom, anyway. In fact, I think I should go. You can stay here and raise Taylor."

"People travel with babies all the time," Robin protested, "She can come with me!"

"Well, we'll see what Logan finds before we decide anything," Max said, forestalling several arguments. She couldn't completely commit to this crazy, randomly-hatched plan yet. It would hurt too much if she let her hopes get raised too high.

"Fine, but you can't just push this to the side, Max," Alec said, "All right?"

"Because we're definitely going to do something," Robin said. She had to get rid of this guilt somehow, and she knew she couldn't sit back and go with the flow when something this monstrous was eating at her.

Max was about to reply when a pair of arms draped around her from behind, and a warm cheek pressed against hers.

"Good to see you came out of the closet, Maxie," Syl said, briefly squeezing Max in a hug.

Max rolled her eyes as Syl let her go. "It was an office, Syl, not a closet."

Krit pulled out a chair between Logan and Alec and sat down. He smirked at Max. "She thinks she's insulting you in a clever way." He picked up a roll from Logan's plate and bit down on it. "Just ignore her. I always do."

Syl snorted. "You couldn't ignore me to save your life," she said as she walked over behind his chair. "And besides, if you ignored me, I'd kill you."

"Yep, you're totally Max's sister," Alec said, grinning at Max who had turned her narrowed chocolate eyes on him.

Syl looked over at him, her dark green gaze dangerously mischievous, as always. "Oh? And how's that?"

Alec was either not one to be deterred by possibly angering a couple women or he was just in a stupid mood. "There's something seriously screwed up about your logic," he said, turning his smile from Max to Syl. "See, if Krit doesn't ignore you, he dies. If he does ignore you, he dies. Either way, Krit gets completely spun, and you get to bounce off, happy and insane as ever."

"Dude, thank you," Krit said, turning to Alec. "I thought I was the only one to see it."

"Us guys have to stick together against the crazy," Alec said, nodding solemnly as he raised his fist. Krit pounded it, wearing the same serious expression on his face.

Behind their backs, Syl and Max glanced at each other, faces tight. Syl tilted her head in a silent question, and Max nodded a smug confirmation. With one swift move, Syl knocked Krit and Alec's heads together before they could even think to move. Tossing a glare at them, she walked over to Max, and they shared a victorious high-five while the guys complained and declared they hadn't done anything.

"Oh, stop whining," Sidda said, grinning at them from across the table. "You know you shouldn't mess with X5 girlies. We'll get you every time."

"Why though, is the question," Seth said. "I mean is it a general rule that you have to win, and we have to lose?"

"Nope, it's a law of nature," Max said, smirking at him. "And it's all women over all men."

Logan raised his eyebrows in amusement and turned to look at her. "So, you're saying that there's some secret code of womanhood that we don't know about?"

"If it's a secret, then we won't tell it," Gem said. She winked at him before looking down at Crystal. Max felt a brief surge of jealousy and immediately squashed it. Gem was Logan's friend, too, she was allowed to wink at him. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything between herself and Logan anyways. They were just friends, especially right now when T.C. was just getting off the ground.

"So is it world domination or just subversive acts that your group is into?" Logan asked, smiling at the silly direction the conversation had taken.

"Subversive acts with the intent of world domination," Sidda said, "We're underhanded overachievers."

"Ah, good choice," Logan said. "Cover of night or in-sight-out-of-mind theory?"

"Plain sight with night cover," Sidda replied, "We work the clubs." She took a sip of her drink and grinned as she set the cup back down. "Think about that for a while."

"No, thanks," Krit said, grimacing. "It makes my head hurt."

"Well, that's not hard to do," Syl said from where she was sitting on the side of Max's chair.

"As witnessed earlier," Krit said, rubbing the side of his head that bashed into Alec's temple. "I know you like beating me up, babe, but couldn't that wait 'til later?"

"I don't like waiting," Syl replied. She stole a chip off Max's plate and nibbled at it. "It's my prerogative to be impatient."

"And my prerogative?" Krit asked.

Syl shrugged. "To get beat up."

Krit sighed and shook his head. "How come I always get the raw end of the deal?"

"The secret code of womanhood says it must be so," Max said seriously, folding her hands and resting them on the table. The other were quiet for a moment before they started laughing, realizing she was joking. Max felt hopeful as she looked around the table. These were people who wanted to help her, no matter how much the danger was to themselves. There were old friends, new friends, her siblings and her…her Logan, whatever he was to her nowadays.

Her stare met Logan's, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled with a smile. Underneath the table, his gloved hand touched her bare one. Imperceptibly, she cringed at the contact before gently squeezing his hand, finding in his touch a reassurance that she hadn't felt all day. They were going to get through this, no matter what.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

**A/N:** Dude, so many of y'all reviewed the first day the last chapter. I was so incredibly excited to see all those reviews, y'all make me want to constantly write. Darn school, taking up all my time! I want to thank Marie, Sasha, Tina, Blue star, Alie, Marcus Sylenus, Lexy, Alexa, Stargate fan, and 452max for reviewing the last chapter!! Love you guys!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 11

"But why can't I go in?"

Seth sighed. This was the third meeting that Dalton had been shut out of, and the kid was starting to get pissed about it. Of course, Seth thought Dalton should just be glad that he knew what was going on; most of T.C. didn't know about the meetings at all. They were always held in Max's office, all of the participants crammed around the computer while Logan explained what he had found so far.

"Sorry, Dalton, but Max wants to keep these meetings as private as possible," Seth said as he walked up the stairs, heading for Max's office.

"But you told Rhiannon! And Trey!" Dalton exclaimed, keeping up Seth's heels like a spurned puppy dog biting at its owner's heels. "I was there, I should get to go, not them."

"They've been on missions before," Seth said. The headache that was gathering at his temple intensified, and he rubbed his fingers against the insistent pain. "Successful missions where they gained lots of experience."

"But how am I going to gain experience if you won't even let me out of the city?" Dalton demanded, glaring at Seth with his dark brown, hurt eyes. "It's not like I'd screw up the mission or anything, I was getting training for this."

"I know, Dalton, but these are sensitive, high risk missions," said Seth. "I swear you can go on a mission soon, just not this one. Besides, there are things that need to be done here."

"There's lots of people here," Dalton said, his voice straining as he tried to keep his exasperation under control. "They won't need me, and I was always good at mock missions back at Manticore."

Seth stopped in the hall and looked at Dalton. The kid's lower jaw was jutted out, half angry and half pout. He knew that Dalton just wanted to be helpful and to be treated like an adult, but the problem was that Dalton wasn't an adult. He was still an untried soldier, and even though he hadn't had a childhood, he still looked like a kid. It wasn't fair to lie to him.

"Dude, just give me a chance," Dalton said, looking up at him with those big brown eyes that made it impossible to send him on this mission. "I'll prove that I'm good, I know I will."

"Dalton," Seth said, unconsciously crossing his arms over his chest. It was a trait that any of his old unit members would have recognized; he always did it when he was about to deliver an unhappy truth. "I don't doubt your enthusiasm or your potential ability, and I certainly know you're willing to go." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You've made that quite clear."

Dalton shifted from foot to foot. "So I can go?" he asked, barely concealed hopefulness drenching each word.

As he shook his head, Seth could see the defeat and anger growing in Dalton's dark eyes. "No, you can't."

"But why not?!" Dalton demanded. "You just said I was good!"

Seth sighed. "Yeah, but how old are you?"

"I dunno, fifteen," Dalton said. He rubbed at his nose and scowled up at Seth. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"You don't look that old," Seth said, "You look like you could be about thirteen, if that."

Dalton shoulders arched back, and he stared up at Seth. "So?" he hissed, "I look young, so what."

"So people in Europe won't be as likely to ignore a kid traveling alone," Seth said, "They haven't spent the last decade in a degraded, junk society with more slang words than cash." He pinned Dalton with a stare when the kid gave an uncontrollable huff of laughter. "Whether you like it or not, you'll look like a lost little kid. They'll stop you and ask you questions, and questions are what we'll need to avoid."

"I can get an I.D.," Dalton rebutted, but he knew he had lost. They were never going to let him go when he looked twelve instead of fifteen. They would only think of him as a liability…this sucked. He glared up at Seth, but he was angrier at himself and his childish features than anything Seth had said to him.

"It's going to be hard enough to get I.D.'s for everyone that's already going," Seth said. He thought about reaching out and touching Dalton's shoulder, but it was too patronizing. "You'll have to do what you can here and wait for a different mission. Help Gem, and give Max and Logan a hand."

"Yeah, whatever," Dalton said, taking a step back, his head held high. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at Seth with a confusing expression, one that Seth couldn't read. It seemed like masked determination, and Seth hoped that determination was to take up his new assignment…but he doubted it. He would have to keep a close eye on the boy. "I've got guard duty or something."

Dalton stalked off, his rigid movements reminding Seth of the Manticore parade grounds. Taking a deep breath, Seth continued on to Max's office, knowing he was going to be late. Dealing with mission specs had to be easier than dealing with upset X6s.

When he got there, Rhiannon was standing leaning against the wall outside of Max's office, a cigarette dangling from her fingertips. Seth didn't know why she had gone herself addicted to smoking, but he was sure that the redhead smoked at least a pack and a half a day. Her dark red hair, almost unnatural in color, fell in tight ringlets across his shoulder as she turned to look at him, pale blue eyes piercing in her angular face. One thing was for sure, Manticore hadn't built Rhiannon to be subtle.

"Everyone's waiting," she said, nodding her head toward the door. An expert tracker, Rhiannon had been a perfect choice when Logan had found that one of the Manticore geneticists had gone deep into the Amazon jungle to escape persecution.

------------------------------

"All right guys, I've got everything this time," Logan said. He was having trouble hiding a grin, and his eyes were practically glowing with excitement. And why shouldn't he be happy? He'd been waiting just as long as Max for a cure to her virus.

"Awesome, where are we headed to?" Sidda asked, perching on the edge of the desk. She picked up a pencil from Logan's desk and began to play with it. Logan stared at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the others. He was starting to get used to Sidda's need to play with random objects.

"You and Alec are still going to Italy, as I mentioned before," Logan said, "but you'll be happy to know that the location I pinpointed is in the northern part of Italy, on the coast. You shouldn't burn up there."

"Even better news," Alec said. He'd heard horror stories from Sidda about warm weather in the convent.

Sidda had been an unexpected addition to the group. Well, not truly unexpected since she had been in on the lunch conversation about the missions. But she hadn't had to go. Still, as she pointed out, there was no reason for her to stay. She didn't have any useful connections outside Terminal City, and she wasn't depended on for any particular job. Plus, once Logan found out that one of the geneticists was in Italy, it had been a done deal. No one else knew Italian yet so Sidda could teach it to Alec on their way over.

"I'm going to ask one thing of you two," Logan said, "There may be a geneticist in South Dakota; I'm not sure if he's still there. But instead of flying to the Philadelphia airport, would you mind driving and stopping there to check it out?"

Alec looked at Sidda and she shrugged and smirked at him. "I guess I could survive several days in the car with Alec."

"I'm sure I could make it up to you at night," Alec said, winking at her. Sidda rolled her eyes. Max had warned her that he could be a handful sometimes.

"Rhiannon, Trey, you two are all set; you've got tickets out of Portland to Phoenix, and from there you'll fly down to Brazil." He handed Rhiannon a couple of tickets, and she studied them briefly before handing them over to Trey. Apparently he was going to be the keeper of the tickets.

Robin was practically bouncing on her toes with eagerness to find out where her group was going. Their information had taken the longest for Logan to track down. But he had just told them a few hours ago that he had finally traced the route. And then had erased it, of course. They didn't need the Familiars getting there first.

Max laughed. "Logan, you better tell Robin where they're going. She might kill you if you make her wait any longer."

Robin nodded, too tense to speak.

"I don't know," Sidda interrupted with a sly, sideways glance at Robin, "I think I actually want to hear more details about this car trip with Alec. I mean, it's a pretty big deal, driving all the way out to South Dakota and…"

"Sidda!" Robin burst out. Taylor let out a short squawk of protest as Robin accidently squeezed her. "Oh, sorry, hun," Robin said gently. Then she looked up again and glared at Sidda. "You better let him tell me Sidda! I'll…I'll…"

"What, shoot me?" Sidda asked, amused, "'Cause you know you won't win in hand-to-hand combat."

"Hey, hey, whoa," Logan said, holding up his hands, "No need to start fighting or shooting."

"Aww, Logan, it would've been fun to beat Robin up again," Sidda said, smirking.

Robin tried to hand Taylor off at Seth so she could fight Sidda, but Seth wrapped a firm arm around her, "If you fight, you'll have to wait even longer before we hear where we're going," Seth reasoned quietly.

Robin stayed tense a moment, then she sighed. "I hate you," she muttered to Sidda. But they were both smiling; play-fighting was one of their favorite activities. It was a good way to get rid of stress.

"Africa," Logan said abruptly. He smiled as everyone turned to look at him.

"Africa?" Syl asked in disbelief. She and Krit were joining Seth, Robin, and Taylor on the quest for Sandeman's home.

"Losing your hearing?" Krit asked.

Syl ignored his comment, except to punch him in the arm for it. "Why Africa?" she asked.

"Well, Sandeman's wife actually seems to be living in South Africa," Logan said, "I have a feeling she'll be the best place to start."

"Wow, I never even thought about him having a wife," Alec said.

Sidda laughed. "Amazing, isn't it? Some people actually _want _to settle down."

"Not me," he said, but a smile was on his face.

"Me neither," she said, smirking at him as she turned her attention back to the others.

"South Africa…" Max said softly. She met Logan's eyes, "Wonder why he was there?" It seemed like a general question, but Logan knew what Max was specifically talking about. Those super-soldiers had been from South Africa. It didn't seem like a project Sandeman would be involved in, but it also seemed like more than coincidence. Maybe Sandeman hadn't had a choice. And maybe all the problems the soldiers had were actually purposeful on Sandeman's part. Who knew? Hopefully a lot of those questions would be answered on this trip.

"I've always wanted to see South Africa," Robin said happily.

"You would," Sidda said. Robin had been extremely happy since she found out she'd be able to do something for Max. The woman seemed to thrive off of being able to do things for other people. It was so odd.

"I haaave." Robin grinned at Sidda, not letting the shorter blonde squash her enjoyment. Being able to help Max and the community would help her get over some the lingering guilty feelings. No matter how many times Max and Seth told her that she wasn't to blame, Robin could bring up other reasons as to why she was. She turned to Logan, still beaming. "So, when are we going?"

Logan bent over his computer to glance at the files. "You'll be leaving from the Portland Airport in a couple days. It was the best I could do with the short amount of time."

"That'll give us a few days to prepare," Krit said, playing absently with Syl's hair. She kept poking him in the side, but he kept at it. "We can get some supplies together and find out more information."

"I think I'll be reading up on South Africa, since we can't all be experts like Robin," said Syl, giving the other woman a teasing smile.

"Hey, I'm not an expert," Robin protested, "I just thought it'd be cool to go there since it's grown up technology wise and everything."

"She read a lot about it while she was pregnant," Sidda said, "Regular women crave food. Robin craved random books about foreign countries." She slid her playfully narrowed gaze toward Robin. "So weird."

Seth laughed and looked at Logan. "If we could pick up a few of the native dialects and customs from the Internet, it could helpful." Seth was always thinking about the details. And he really liked the detail where his arm was still around Robin's waist.

Logan nodded. "The computer's all yours, at least when I'm not on it. I can print you out some fact sheets, too." He smiled at Max. This was going to work, he knew it would. Transgenics got things done.

"All right," Max said, uncrossing her arms and stepping forward. "Since this thing's going to start going down tonight, I just wanted to tell you that you can back out now." Her gaze locked on each of theirs. "You can stop this at any time. This is my problem, not yours, so don't feel obligated to do it or anything." She kept her gaze on Robin, hoping the other woman would see the sincerity in her eyes. "I don't want you to do anything out of guilt."

"Don't mean to bust your bubble or anything, Maxie," Alec said, shoving away from the wall he had been leaning against, "But this isn't just your problem."

"It's our, too," Trey said, speaking up for the first time. Both he and Rhiannon were quiet people, rarely speaking but always observing. "Everyone needs to know what your code means. We need to know why he made us, what we're for."

"We're honored to go," Rhiannon said, her redhead bobbing in a curt nod, "This is the first real mission we've been able to go on in a long time. It'll feel good to use our skills."

Max ran her fingers along the desk. This was another problem they had come across. Most transgenics in T.C. were glad to be out from under Manticore, but they were going insane from the sheer lack of ways to use their expertise. Snipers, combat, assassins, bodyguards, marine insurgency, retrieval: T.C. was stocked with enough of a variety of soldiers to have their own military or at least a militia. Maybe the next time she talked to the government, she would mention their wasted skills.

"So, when do you want us to leave?" Alec asked, motioning to himself and Sidda.

Logan gave them an apologetic smile. "It'd be best if you left tonight. You could be in South Dakota in about two days, and then it'll take another three days before you reach Philadelphia. I'll give you a couple credit cards to get you across the country and over to Italy. Then you can pick up a phone, and I'll direct you from there."

Alec looked at Sidda. "I'm confused. Does he think we're going the speed limit?"

"I dunno," she said, eyeing Logan. She shrugged. "I think we could do it in four days, not including when we stop to check about the guy. Especially if we get a good truck with decent gas mileage."

"Three days," Alec said, "And if I win, our story in Italy is that we're newlyweds." He smirked at her. "Very intimate newlyweds."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "If it takes four days, you have to go as a transsexual." She looked him over, her eyes traveling from his feet to his head. Grinning, she tilted her head. "Yep, it'll work too."

"As long as you're my lesbian lover," he leered, not letting her get the better of him.

Max rolled her eyes. "All right, save it for the car."

"Why do I have this odd feeling that they'll kill each other?" Seth asked, looking over Robin's head at Krit.

The dark-haired X5 snickered. "Because they probably will?"

Logan shook his head. "It's a good thing I prepared briefing packets for each of you. Otherwise we'd never wrap up this meeting."

"Aww, Logan, you don't want to keep us around?" Sidda asked, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

Logan just looked at her, then handed her a packet. "Here. Read up in the car or something."

-----------------------

"I can't believe you guys are already leaving." Robin was sitting at the table, watching as Sidda hurried around the apartment and tried to gather all her things together. She hadn't been expecting to leave tonight.

"I know," Sidda said distractedly, turning around as she tried to figure out where in the world she'd set down her damn hairbrush. She never found it in the same place! Alec was supposed to be there in half an hour, hopefully she'd be packed before he arrived.

"So you and Alec, hmmm?" Robin smiled slyly as Sidda paused long enough to glare at her.

"It's not like that," Sidda said stiffly.

"Oh, sure," Robin replied, "You were just oh-so-desperate to get out of Terminal City and go back to Italy of all places." Robin knew Sidda's story and knew that returning to Italy was going to bring back some bad memories. Sidda was just going to try and focus on the good ones.

"I want to be useful," Sidda said with a shrug, "And the apartment would have been pretty empty with you and Taylor gone."

"Mhmm," Robin replied, still unconvinced. Alec seemed exactly the sort of guy Sidda liked. And just the very fact that Sidda wasn't obviously going after him seemed important. Sidda normally loved taunting and teasing hot guys.

"You're awful, saying stuff like that right when I'm about to go."

Robin laughed. "Well, if I'd known you were leaving tonight I would have made sure to schedule it earlier."

"You should've. Then I'd time to beat you up or taunt you mercilessly about the fact that you desperately want to go on a mission with Seth," Sidda replied.

Robin sat up straighter. "I didn't want to go because he was going! I wanted to go for Max!"

"Sure you did."

"Sidda! It has…" She growled. "Sidda, we weren't talking about me."

"But it's so much more fun when we do." Sidda grinned at her friend, "You always get so upset."

Robin narrowed her eyes. "You know what? Maybe I won't miss you."

"Oh, you will," Sidda assured her. She chuckled at Robin's infuriated expression, then turned toward the door as a knock sounded. "I haven't found my hairbrush yet," she moaned.

"Oh, is that what you were looking for?" Robin asked as she stood up to get the door. "It's on the bookcase in your room."

"You're kind of creepy sometimes," Sidda said, heading into her room. She retrieved the hairbrush, then paused in the room for a second as she heard Alec's voice. She smiled slightly; Robin was sort of right, though Sidda would never tell her that. Sidda didn't think she was going to mind the company on this trip at all, as much as she picked at Alec about being a horrible traveling partner. She had a feeling that he would keep the trip interesting. She headed back into the living area.

"Ready?" he asked as she entered the room, "Or are you like most females and never done with packing?"

Sidda glared at Alec and swung her book bag over her shoulder. "I'm ready."

Alec stared at her. "Where's your luggage?"

Sidda turned around and indicated her book bag, then lifted up her knapsack. "Here. I figured I could steal some stuff if I needed it."

Alec continued to stared at her, and Robin started laughing.

Sidda looked at Alec's luggage and the corner of her mouth tugged into a smirk. "I gather you've never needed to travel quickly?" she asked, fighting for a serious tone.

Alec folded his arms. "I've always had high-profile missions. I had to look my best."

"I can see that," Sidda said, bursting into laughter. It wasn't really that bad, she knew that. But the fact that Alec had a suitcase while she just had a couple of bags…it was totally funny.

"Well, obviously you don't need help," Alec said, lifting his suitcase, "So I'm going down to start up the truck."

"Ok." Sidda shifted her bags so they were a bit more comfortable then went over to Robin and kissed Taylor's forehead. Taylor stirred but she seemed determined to stay asleep. She was going to be a lot bigger the next time Sidda saw her.

Robin threw her free arm around Sidda in a hug. "It's gone be a while before we see each other again."

Sidda nodded. "I'll call you as soon as we get to Italy and buy a phone. I'll leave our number with Logan."

"We'll do the same," Robin said. She moved to stand in the doorway as Sidda left. "Good luck!"

Sidda turned and smiled at her before heading down the stairs. "You too. Oh, and don't die."

"I'll try not to," Robin replied, rolling her eyes. Sidda chuckled and started down the steps. That was the nice thing about having transgenics for friends; even though everyone hated them and a lot of people were out to hurt them, at least Sidda knew that her friends were well-equipped to protect themselves.

She hurried down the stairs, not wanting to hold up the trip any longer. Outside, the crisp May night air frosted her lungs as she took in a deep breath. Fog hung above T.C. but didn't drop into the streets, threatening rain but never delivering. As much as returning to Italy was going to be a pain, she was going to be glad to get back to sunny days and starry nights.

Alec was putting an extra container of gas into the bed of the rumbling, dark red truck, lifting the thirty gallon container as if it was a bag of marshmallows. He tossed a smirk at her as he turned around.

"So, did you pack any extra underwear in that little bag?" he asked as she walked toward him. "Or do you go commando?"

She hurled the knapsack at him, but he caught it easily. She rolled her eyes but they danced with amusement. Word play was her favorite game. "Why don't you just check?"

"The bag or you?" he asked as he put the knapsack into the back of the truck.

"I get to decide?" She raised her eyebrows as she walked over to the passenger door and opened it. "If that's another attempt at twisted chivalry, I'm calling that a fail."

"Trust me, I'd never try to be chivalrous," Alec said as he climbed into the driver's seat. As she got in, he turned to look at her. "So, you ready for this?"

She shoved her backpack between her feet and smiled at him. "Seeing how I was trained to be constantly ready for crap like this, I think I'll say yes."

"Then let's get the hell out of Dodge."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Dude…*wide eyes* I've never had that many reviews on one chapter EVER! I wanna send out a huge thank you to sango32510, Alexa, Tessa, Sandra, x5 416, Dark girl, Lea, Sara, Anna, DA fan, Girly, 452max, Resse, Kay, DEANNA, Winchester girl, and Alec's No.1 fan!!! You guys are AMAZING!!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 12

Robin quickly decided that she had a hate-love relationship with the Portland Airport. Yes, she had to say that the combination of so many cultures in one place was intriguing, and she could sit here for hours and eavesdrop on all sorts of conversations, but there were some definite downsides to the place. Security, especially if you were going overseas, was almost as bad as going through Manticore Psy-Ops.

Seth and Robin had never been out of the country except through Manticore, and then you went on military aircraft that didn't require you to supply three kinds of identification and take your shoes off. What the hell was the shoe thing? Syl and Krit had tried to warn them about the stringent, ridiculous policies of the airport security, but it still shocked Robin when they almost strip-searched Krit because he "had a weird look about him."

"I thought I was good with the name Christopher," Krit muttered as they walked from security, all of them holding their shoes in their hands. Seth was doing a great job of managing Taylor, his carry-on, and his shoes.

Syl smirked at him. "Well, Chris, you could do better. It would've been worse if you had gone with something like Mohammed."

"Just because I've got dark skin doesn't mean I'm a Muslim," Krit said, tossing a glare back over his shoulder like any disgruntled passenger would. "Besides, they're prejudiced, and it's wrong."

"At least they're not trying to kill you," Robin said, almost laughing at the irony. A little harassment was a lot better than how people usually treated them.

"It's still not right," Krit said with a sigh.

"Do tell me when you're done trying to fight The Man, will you?" Syl said. She swung her shoes back and forth as she walked.

"Of course, babe," Krit said, giving her sarcastically sweet smile. Syl returned it with a grin that looked particularly vicious. Behind their backs, Seth and Robin shared exasperated looks. The relationship between the 09ers was natural yet so odd. They didn't exactly claim to be brother and sister anymore, but they certainly acted like it. But then again, everyone knew they were lovers. Their relationship had more levels than Robin could count, and she had a feeling that she would become familiar with a lot of those levels on this extended trip.

The group stopped at the first row of chairs they came to and put their shoes back on. While Seth put on his shoes, Syl swept Taylor up into her arms, cooing at the baby. When Robin had first met Syl, she had been afraid to let the often violent 09er hold her child. She was even more shocked to find out that Syl loved kids; she spent a lot of her time with the X8s and X9s in T.C. and helped the other X5 women with their newborns. When Syl was around a kid, her aggressive, spontaneous exterior seemed to melt away, revealing an oddly gushy side of Syl exposed.

Syl tickled Taylor's side and tugged gently at the baby's onesie. "My niece is the cutest thing in the world, mhmm," she said to Taylor, keeping her voice soft but not babyish.

The story that the group had come up with during their three days back at T.C. was that Syl and Robin were sisters and they were traveling to South Africa to visit their ailing mother with their spouses and Robin's baby. It was a semi-cliché story but one that would hold up to examination.

"What about our other niece?" Krit asked, frowning at her. "Is my brother's little girl not good enough for you?"

"Melonia is cross-eyed, and her name reminds me of skin cancer," Syl retorted, "So of course my sister's daughter is cuter. Taylor's completely, entirely adorable."

It seemed to Robin that Syl and Krit were going to have way too much fun creating their character profiles. Since they had entered the building, they had invented and bickered over at least ten different relatives. Robin was just glad that X5s had such good memories; otherwise they would never remember all of those people. Except perhaps Uncle Rico who thought he was in Vietnam fighting the Nazis. That guy was sort of original, and Robin couldn't stop imagining a Mexican man in a Hawaiian shirt chasing Germans down in the foxholes of Vietnam. It made her giggle every time.

After they put their shoes back on, they stood up, and Robin took Taylor from Syl. The baby smiled up at her, and Robin's heart turned into warm, gooey mush. Taylor had just started really smiling a couple days ago, big, bright smiles that made her look so much like her mother, or so Seth had said. Sidda was going to be upset that she didn't see this. Of course by the time Sidda was around again, who knew what Taylor would be doing.

"What's wrong?" Seth asked as he moved to her side. It was strange how he could already tell when she was upset, even when she was hiding it.

"I was just thinking about Sidda," Robin said, shifting Taylor so the baby wouldn't bump against the straps of her backpack. "I mean, I haven't been apart from her since…the school burned down." She looked up at him and attempted a smile.

Seth smiled back at her and gave her a brief, comforting hug. "You'll get to talk to her soon, at least. Just give it a week, and you'll probably be on the phone so much we'll never get this done."

Robin gasped and stepped away from him. "I wouldn't do that, this is way more important than a phone call."

"Depends on the phone call," Syl said, smirking back at her, "And who it's from."

"I bet it's from your mom," Krit said sarcastically, putting to use an old joke that had been run through the mud by now.

"Just when I didn't think it was possible for you to be any dumber," Syl said. She shot him a glare that he didn't even acknowledge.

Seth grabbed his carry-on and seized the moment. "Come on, let's go find our terminal."

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"I hate how early airports make you arrive," Robin grumbled. It was such a hassle when you had a baby to take care of.

"If only we were sure they wouldn't mess with flight times," Seth said.

"Hey, anyone want anything to eat?" Syl asked. She had just dumped her carry-on at Krit's feet. They had had to get up early to make their 7AM flight and consequently had to buy breakfast.

"I wouldn't mind a bagel," Robin said.

Seth nodded. "Same's good for me. Thanks."

"I know what you want, you don't have to tell me," Syl said, looking over her shoulder at Krit.

Krit threw his hands up. "What if I wanted something different today?"

Syl rolled her eyes. "You are a creature of habit. I think you'll be fine."

It took a while for Syl to return with breakfast; she grumbled a lot about lines and outrageous prices when she returned. They thanked her for her forbearance, though Krit kept insisting that he was only eating what she had chosen for him because he was hungry, not because it was what he wanted. He stopped complaining when Syl punched his gut and told him he could throw it back up if he didn't want it. By the time they were done eating the plane was about ready for boarding.

"I hope you're prepared to spend a very, very long time as a pillow," Syl informed Krit as they stood in line for boarding. She beamed at him and threaded her arm through his. "'Cause I checked. You get to sit next to me the whooooole way."

"Wonderful," Krit said, "I'm glad you don't drool in your sleep." Seth and Robin looked at each other and grinned as they both had the same thought. They'd compared tickets earlier and found that they were sitting a few rows back from Krit and Syl. As fun as Krit and Syl were, it was nice that they would be able to spend the trip in relative peace. Unless Taylor decided she didn't like planes, of course.

"Actually," Syl said, "Planes do something weird to me." She looked at Krit innocently. "I drool buckets and buckets."

"Yeah right," Krit said as Syl passed him to hand her ticket to the lady at the gate. He turned and looked at Seth and Robin, and his eyes were wide with concern. "That's not possible, right? She just made that up?"

"I don't know," Robin said, smiling as she moved past him, "Maybe she didn't."

Seth just shook his head quietly at Krit to answer his question; he couldn't let the poor guy suffer. Seth would be terrified too if a threat of buckets of drool was hanging over him. Luckily he was a medic, and Robin would never be able to pull something like that on him.

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Sidda tilted her head back against the seat and shifted her weight a little more. It was hard to sleep in the truck; she just wasn't tired enough for it even though she and Alec had been driving non-stop since they left Seattle. Sidda sighed, wishing they had gotten a truck with a full cab. Oh well, that was what happened when you rushed and did things last minute.

Alec had noticed her shifting. "Hey, Sidda, if you're awake, can you look at that map? I think we're getting near to the town where this guy is supposed to be."

Seth pulled the map out of the glove compartment and glanced at it. "Yup. We should be there by nightfall." She glanced at the clock. "Want to stop and grab some food from a gas station? We could probably top the tank off anyway."

"We don't need to stop," Alec said, glancing at the fuel gage.

Sidda rolled her eyes. "You just want to win the bet."

"Yeah, I do. Going as a couple is so much better than me going as a transvestite. That's way too complicated."

"I like things complicated." Sidda grinned and leaned back in the seat. "It makes life more interesting."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that I've got enough interesting things going on in my life," Alec said, glancing at her. "Things never really seem to stay boring for very long when you get a bunch of transgenics in one place."

"Hmm, I suppose I could see that," Sidda said, "But if life back in Terminal City was so fascinating, why did you want to come on this trip?"

"Oh, look, a gas station," Alec said, "Didn't you want some food?"

"You're so obvious it's just sad," Sidda said.

Alec pulled into the gas station. There was no small amount of complaining as they unfolded themselves from the truck cab and stepped out onto the broken pavement. They had been in the truck for way too long, usually with Alec driving while Sidda slept or read aloud the documents Logan had given them.

They were taking Highway 12 down through Montana and into South Dakota. It was taking them straight to a little town called Catesburg, which was outside of the bigger city of Aberdeen. Supposedly William Barker, a former Manticore geneticist who had worked in the DNA division of the labs, was living in a farm outside the town. It was more likely that he had left since his information had been relatively easy to track down, but it couldn't hurt checking and possibly saving them a trip overseas.

Their other target/objective was a geneticist named Matthew Hayden, who had, according to Logan, hightailed it to Europe after Manticore burned to the ground. There were only a few recent mentions of him, but it seemed that he couldn't keep his fingers out of the DNA cookie jar. Logan had found out that he was working on a "top secret" project with renowned Italian biologist Carlina De Luca in a small lab in Venice. Logan wasn't able to figure out what the project was, but he was thinking that it had something to do with the manipulation of human DNA, a perfect job for an ex-Manticore scientist as long as he kept his head down.

Sidda looked around, her hands on her hips. The greasy little gas station was in the middle of No Where, Montana; they hadn't seen a house for miles. Space was all around them, grass stretching in every direction with nothing to stop it. This much open space was almost too much for Sidda who had grown up in whatever wooded area Manticore had decided to base itself in that year.

The windows of the little gas station from were broken and boarded up with salvaged planks of wood. Pieces of trash littered the pavement that probably hadn't been replaced since it was put down in the 1930s. The weirdest thing was that no one was manning the station, and there were no lines at the gas tanks. At all.

"Nice job picking the creepy, haunted gas station, Alec," Sidda said as she walked around to the other side of the truck. "Are you sure the extra container is empty?"

"Yeah, we used the last of it when we came into Montana. And it's creepy, yeah, but not haunted." Alec glanced up at the building as he unscrewed the gas cap. "Gramps in there is definitely alive. And packing."

"Shotgun?" Sidda asked with a smile, as if Alec had said something funny instead of dangerous.

"Yep. Looks like he knows how to use it too." He straightened up, grinned and pulled her to him, wrapping her in a hug. Her breath caught, and she pressed her hands against his chest, hoping he had an explanation.

"What are you doing?" she hissed through teeth gritted in a smile.

"Play along so he doesn't shoot us," Alec replied, nestling his cheek against her hair, "He'll be less likely to kill us if he thinks we're in love. Humans are all about some lovin'."

"Yeah, well, don't get fresh with me," she warned with a sweet tone. Her heart beat faster as he gave her a tight squeeze.

Alec laughed and let her pull away. "Ah, okay, I'll remember that hugs are a no-no with the shortie."

"Oh, shut up," Sidda said, rolling her eyes, "I'm perfectly fine with hugs. Just maybe not from you." She looked past him at the gas station. "We should probably go ask him if we can have some gas now."

"I don't know if we're a convincing couple yet," Alec said, but he didn't touch her. When she glared up at him, he held up his hands. "Fine, let's go. Maybe he won't shoot us."

"If he does, I'll tell them you weren't that bad of a traveling companion," she said as they walked toward the gas station. She had to take extra steps just to keep up with his normal stride; she would hate to think of how fast she would have to blur to keep up when he was running. At least she was marginally speedy.

"Wait, wait, why am I dying?" Alec said, putting his hands in his pockets. "And I'm a good traveling buddy?"

"Someone has to die tragically, obviously, if he shoots us," Sidda said with a wink. She reached the door and opened it, her fingers lingering on the brass handle. "And so far…you could be a worse partner."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," he said, smirking as he grabbed the door to let her go in first.

----------------------------------

Dalton was sure that his body was starting to solidify in this cramped, distorted position. His head was pressed up against the wheel well, and his hands were folded underneath his head to try to cushion it from the metal. His left foot was tucked in-between the empty gas and the side of the truck and the over was resting on top of Alec's suitcase.

He knew one thing. He was never going to spend a night in a freezing cold truck bed ever again if he could help it. Manticore should have gone over the proper way of stowing away in trucks…

When he heard Alec and Sidda get out of the truck, he had an almost uncontrollable urge to jump out of the back of the truck, declare that X6s were sooo much smarter than X5s and lord it over them that they hadn't discovered him yet. When he was stopped because his legs were asleep, he rethought his rash decision and decided to stay hidden for a little while longer. He held completely still, not moving a muscle, as they talked beside the truck.

Then again, being in contact with other people would be nice, too. He could hear them, of course, since X6 hearing allowed him eavesdrop easily on their conversation, but he couldn't say anything or join in on their bantering.

He waited until they had walked into the store before moving. They thought they had cramps? They didn't know what a cramp. His entire body ached as he carefully moved around, shifting so he could lay on his other side.

Dalton was torn. Getting out of the bed of the truck seemed dangerous, and they might spot him. However, there were many pressing needs that he had to take care of. He was desperately in need of a bathroom, and his stomach was probably going to start eating other parts of his body if he didn't feed it soon.

Dalton shifted himself slowly so that his eyes were just above the level of the back window. He peered through the truck at the store. He was lucky. At the angle they had parked, and as long as he was careful, the only way they would see him was if they were standing right at the door. Dalton evaluated the time he had and decided to take care of the most pressing matters first. He scooted carefully through the junk Alec had piled in the back on the truck and then slithered out from under the tarp. Yet again, he was glad Alec had decided to protect everything from possible rain; if it hadn't been for the tarp there was no way he could've stayed hidden this long.

Dalton made it to the back of the truck and surveyed the space behind the vehicle. It figured they would stop in a place without woods. Well, at least there were some large bushy-looking things and a few scraggly trees not far from the truck. They would have to do. If he kept the truck between him in the store…it was risky, but now that he had started moving around the call of his bladder was urgent.

He jumped out and ran. Or stumbled. His muscles weren't exactly cooperating with him yet. But he made it to the bush without anyone yelling at him.

"Thank you, thank you, Sidda," he whispered fervently. Once he revealed himself he would be sure to let her know what a lifesaver she had been, finally getting Alec to stop. Not that they hadn't stopped before. But this was the first time in a while that both of them had actually left the truck.

------------------------------------------------

"Hello, sir, we were wondering if you had some gas," Alec asked, trying to keep his smile polite. Sidda had told him a few days ago that he had a habit of annoying people because it always seemed like he was sort of making fun of them. Which was true, but it was probably best not to irritate the old man. Who knew what a crazy old guy with a gun could do in the few seconds it might take Alec to disarm him.

The old man eyed them suspiciously, eyes squinted behind his glasses as he tried to make them out in the dim light of the store. His face was full of old-age wrinkles, and it didn't look like many of the lines had come from laughing. The store seemed to match him; dusty and rather bare, as if the man hadn't bothered to restock in ages.

Sidda could barely make out anything through the windows, they were so dirty. She suppressed the urge to sneeze and concentrated on looking sweet and harmless for the old man. Life had been so much easier when transgenics could actually defend themselves without worrying about the consequences of looking unnaturally strong.

"You aren't from around here," the old guy said. He crossed his arms, letting them see the rifle that was clearly placed on the counter in front of him. "Not many folks come out this way. Not much to see here."

Sidda wrapped her arm through Alec's and pasted a bashful smile on her face. "You're right sir, we've never been up this way before. But my father's brother lives up this way, and he's been sick for a few months. My father asked me to come see him."

"And of course I couldn't let my wife go by herself," Alec said, beaming down at Sidda and blocking the man's view of her at the same time. Alec winked at Sidda, and she narrowed her eyes at him, but when Alec turned back they both had perfectly happy and innocent looks on their faces.

"Well, that's the proper way of things," the man said, relaxing a bit. "No woman should ever have to travel alone," he said, turning around to look at his list of what was in stock.

Sidda rolled her eyes, and Alec smirked. They definitely had to travel as a couple in Italy. This was way too much fun.

"All right, I've got a tank out back," the old man said. He placed his hand on the gun again in warning. "You've got money to pay for it? It's fifteen dollars a gallon."

Sidda bit her lip as if considering their budget and then nodded. "We could take about twenty gallons, couldn't we, hunny?" Her nails dug into Alec's arm on the last word.

"Ow," he hissed. He looked at the man. "Yeah, that'll be the last of it, but twenty gallons should be enough. We'll stop at a bank or something when we get to your uncle's, darling." All they needed was for it to get around that an out-of-town couple was carrying around loads of cash. Every broke man for miles would be on their tail then, and they didn't have time to deal with that.

"Well, come on then." The old man slouched off his stool and grabbed his gun before leading them out the door. They went around to the back of the building where a rusty tank with an old-fashioned fuel hose was waiting. "Hold on, we got to go get our gas cans," Alec said. The man nodded and leaned against the side of the tank to wait for them.

-------------------------------------------

"Ohshit, ohshit, ohshit," Dalton hissed as Sidda, Alec, and some old wrinkly guy walked out of the gas station. They paused by the door, and Dalton heard Alec say something about going to get gas cans.

Muttering a few more curses, Dalton zipped up his pants and dove behind one of the few trees, crouching down low in the scruffy patch of bushes. He sent a silent prayer to whoever was up there to make sure they didn't spot him or leave without him. He couldn't imagine how much it would suck to get stuck here. Especially since he didn't even know where here was.

He held perfectly still as Alec and Sidda walked past his hiding spot, whispering heatedly back and forth.

"Fifteen bucks a gallon?!" Alec snapped, "Is he crazy, that's more than we've ever pay in Seattle."

"I guess he doesn't get much business, cupcake," Sidda replied.

Cupcake? She sounded sarcastic, but still, Alec the cupcake? Dalton wanted to lift his head to peek at them, but he knew they would spot him.

"That doesn't mean he has to gouge us, sugar bunny."

"Okay, no, that's just too much," Sidda said, "I'm totally not a sugar bunny."

"Oh, and I'm a cupcake?"

"Maybe a stale one," she teased.

Dalton willed them to walk faster or even blur to the truck, but they were taking their time about getting there. A plan was forming in his head about how to get back in the truck. When they went out back again, he would make a break for the truck and hurl himself into the bed, hoping that they didn't spot him. He'd be shielded by the station for the most of his run, and it was unlikely that they would see him. He had to get back in the truck before they left.

Tuning back in to their conversation, he tried to figure out how close they were to going back around the building.

"Both us don't have to go deal the nutcase," Alec was saying, "You can stay here, if you want."

Dalton's heart started pounding. Oh, don't, Sidda, go please? If she stayed with the truck, he'd never get back in without them seeing him.

"I don't think anyone's going to try to steal our stuff out here," Sidda said, "I might as well go with you."

There was clanking noises as someone pulled one of the big gas tanks from the back of the truck. "All right, I get it," Alec said, "You're too attached to me to let me out of your sight."

"You wish," Sidda replied, "I'm just looking out for my own boredom. Maybe you'll screw up somehow in the next fifteen or so minutes, and I don't want to miss that."

"Uh-huh."

"Just come on."

They walked past Dalton's hideout and back around the building. The minute they were out of sight, Dalton leapt up, propelling himself ten feet forward from a crouch. A couple seconds of silent blurring got him into the truck bed, and a moment later he was back under the tarp, jammed up under the back window, as far away from the tailgate as he could get. They would have to put the gas tank back, and he didn't want his foot sticking out or anything. Ugh, he hoped they were getting to wherever they were going soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up this contortionist bit.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Hey everyone, hope you're enjoying the story! The THANK YOU shout-out for the last update goes to Alexa, Sandra, Unknown x5, Deanna, Stargate fan (x2), Tina, Alie, 452max, and nattylovesu! In response to Tina's question, yeah, you'll be hearing more about Alec and his position at Manticore, but it'll probably be in snippits unless he randomly decides to tell someone his life story. Which he very well could. ;) Thanks for all the response to the story, everyone; I love reviews, they make me incredibly happy!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 13

To Krit's relief, it turned out that Syl didn't drool when she was on a plane. She and Krit read up on African customs and bickered about where they should get a hotel. They raided the drink cart whenever it passed by and harassed the stewardesses by asking for pillows and blankets.

"She's going to hit them with the next pillow they ask for," Seth said as he and Robin watched Syl tug on another flight attendant's shirt sleeve.

Robin grinned at Seth. "Good thing you're a medic."

"I don't think that a pillow is going to hurt her," Seth said, returning the smile. The two of them were spending the flight sleeping and figuring out where to get the cell phone from. Logan had suggested a couple of places, one in particular, and it definitely seemed easier to get a cell phone in Africa than it was in America. Africa wasn't a ruined dynasty; they still had a working market and economy.

Robin shifted Taylor from her right arm to her left. The baby had cried for the first hour they had been on the plane, freaking Robin out. Taylor never cried, and she definitely never cried for an hour. Seth said she was just getting acclimated to the high altitude, and, well, she couldn't like everything. It had turned out fine; she had cried herself into exhaustion and fell asleep. She hadn't woken up for the past few hours. The embarrassed blush in Robin's cheeks had faded from her cheeks, but she could still feel the other passengers glaring at her, angry for bringing a baby on the plane in the first place.

"Do you want me to hold her?" Seth asked, noticing Robin's movement. She shook her head.

"No, it's fine," Robin said, "I'll tell you when my arm goes to sleep."

Seth laughed. "All right, let me know."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. With her free hand, Robin fiddled with the cool, tiny TVs that were built into the backs of the seat, wondering how they worked. The movies weren't free, and they didn't have any extra money to spare, but Robin could imagine that the flight would have gone by much faster and easier with something to watch.

Beside her, Seth pulled a thick, hardbound book out of his carry-on and flipped it open. Robin got a brief glance of the cover and laughed.

"What?" Seth asked, glancing at her.

Robin shook her head. "That's not exactly light reading." The title of the book was _Military Tactics of Southern Africa: A Land Together_. She wasn't sure where he had gotten it, but it wasn't a book for the faint-hearted.

Seth gave a sheepish smile and ran his hand over the smooth white page. "Some habits die hard. I asked Logan to get something about the military for me to read, and he brought this from one of his contacts."

"I think my book's better," she said, nudging her bag with her foot. Like him, she had pulled her book from her bag yet. Seth reached down and dug through her bag, shifting around the diapers and baby things. Eventually he picked up a worn paperback with yellowing pages.

"T.C. Library?" he asked, noting the condition of the book. She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a good book," she said, taking it from him. She flipped it over and showed him the cover: _A Wizard of EarthSea_ by Usula K. Le Guin.

"Oh, a fantasy reader."

Robin's eyebrows rose. "And is there something wrong with that?"

Seth shrugged. "I just prefer to keep my head in the real world."

Robin snorted. "The real world? Look around, Seth. This world that we live in now is the stuff of sci-fi stories from the past." She lowered her voice. "We're the stuff of sci-fi and fantasy stories. If anything holds a gleam of truth about what to expect in our world, I don't think it's going to be that." She nodded at his book.

Seth stared at her a moment. "So wait, you're saying that fantasies are more truthful than non-fiction?"

Robin leaned back in her seat and smiled. "Nope, I'm just saying they reveal more truths. And predict them." She played with one of Taylor's wisps of hair. "Your books teach you from what happened in the past. Mine try to warn or teach about what may happen in the future."

"I feel like I'm in a class being taught by some twisted philosopher," Seth said, grinning at her.

Robin laughed. "Maybe you are. I've heard there are a few crazies among us."

"Yeah, there are. I guess I better watch out in case you come up behind me with a knife one day or something."

"You never know." Robin winked at him.

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"We will shortly be descending for the Cape Town Airport, arrival time schedule in twenty minutes." The captain's voice crackled over the speaker. "It will be 4 p.m. in South Africa. Please notice the fasten seatbelt sign is on. All chairs should be in the upright position and trays should be securely latched."

"Oh, thank goodness, I am so ready to get off this plane," Robin said.

"No kidding." Syl was beside them, on her way back from the bathroom. "I don't do well with being cooped up for long periods of time with nothing to do."

"We've noticed," Seth said wryly.

"So what's the plan for when we land?" Syl asked, ignoring the evil looks the flight attendants were giving her. If she didn't sit down soon, she'd probably be harassed by a flock of vengeful women more than thrilled to order her to do something.

"Well," Seth said, glancing at the growing number of flight attendants who were eyeing Syl. "We'll probably rent a car so that we can go wherever we need to. Logan's got a reservation booked for us at a nearby hotel, and from there we can start looking for Sandy." They had decided to refer to Sandeman's wife as 'Sandy' in conversations just to be safer. Sandeman wasn't exactly a usual name, and they didn't want to take chances on who might be listening.

"Sounds good," Syl said. She hadn't gone to all the meetings Logan had called before leaving, and the information had kept changing. She hadn't minded leaving logistical details in Seth's hands, she'd never really cared about that stuff anyway. It was the action that interested her.

She couldn't wait to start on the search for Sandeman. Logan hadn't been able to find an exact address; instead he had found about seven. Logan had assumed that this was a precaution of Sandeman's and had warned them that by visiting one of the residences, they would probably trigger alarm. That alarm would become serious when they visited more than one place. It presented a challenge, and Syl loved challenges.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to please find your seat."

Syl stared at the bird-like flight attendant. "Oh, don't worry, I know exactly where my seat is."

The woman's lips tightened and thinned somewhat, "Ma'am, will you please be seated? We're descending, and everyone needs to be in their seats and buckled in." Her eyes brightened as if she was expecting for Syl to challenge her.

"Sure, ok," Syl said. She looked at Seth and Robin. "See you guys on the ground."

The woman stared as Syl retreated to her seat. The poor attendant's mouth was in a tiny little 'o'; she was obviously shocked that Syl had complied. And from Syl's smile as she sat down, that was exactly why she had been cooperative. She loved reactions.

-----------------------------------------

"This is going to be it."

"You said that about the last three houses."

"No, I said those were probably it."

"I have perfect memory, Sidda. I know what you said."

Sidda glared at Alec who was in turn glaring at the empty, desolate road surrounded by equally empty, desolate land that was cloaked with dark, sunset shadows. The monotony of this place and the fact that Logan had given them six possible locations for this guy to be at was starting to drive both of them crazy.

"It isn't my fault they shot at you at the last house," Sidda said, "You shouldn't have gotten out of the truck."

"I'm sorry," he grumbled bitterly, his hands tightening around the steering wheel. "I couldn't exactly see the nutcase in the attic! My bad."

"I didn't see her until she started shooting hot lead at us," Sidda replied just as angrily. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the door, setting one elbow against the window and her chin on her hand. The truck hit a deep pothole and bounced, jostling her and threatening to send her into the air. She was starting to think Alec was hitting them on purpose. "I guess we should both be more observant next time."

"Oh, are you expecting more shotgun-toting attic grannies?" Alec said, tossing her a frown. "Because, if you are, I'd like some warning."

"God, you're so annoying!" Sidda snapped. She was trying to make amends, and he was just making it worse. Sidda flung an arm out as she whipped toward him, her irritation hitting a peak. "If there are anymore I'll just drive off and let them kill you, how's that? Then I won't have to deal with your whining!"

"Good!" he said, "Then I won't have to deal with your bad navigational skills."

"My navigational skills are perfectly fine," Sidda hissed, her hazel eyes narrowed, "I can't help it that you're a sucky driver."

"I'm a damn good driver," Alec said, taking his eyes off the road to glare at her. "Evasive vehicular maneuvers are my expertise."

"So it's normal for you to get shot at in cars?" Sidda replied, rolling her eyes at him, "That's just great!"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Whatever, you're just—" Something flickered in the corner of her eye, and Sidda gasped. "Alec!" A car with busted out headlights popped over the low hill in front of them, speeding at them in their lane, going way faster than their own 75 mph.

Alec's eyes widened before setting in determination. He spun the wheel to the left, sending their tires squealing in sudden torture. Sidda could see the drunk driver's shocked, stupid face as their truck peeled into the other lane, briefly rising up on two wheels. Adrenaline coursed through their veins, but the intense-situation calm that Manticore had trained them to have had taken over, making them both blank-faced until Alec guided their car back into the right lane.

"You okay?" Alec said, glancing at Sidda.

She nodded and let out the breath she had been holding. "Yeah." She gave him a shaky, ironic smile. "Nice driving."

"Huh. Shouldn't have taken my eyes off the road."

"Hey," she said, shaking her head, "You may not be the safest driver, but you're right." The anger she had felt before had been replaced by relief. She patted his leg and snickered darkly. "You've got the evasive part down."

Alec smirked at her. "Damn right."

They drove in silence for a while, the previous argument fading into the past. In a few minutes, they passed the tree break between one farm and another. Up in the distance, a small white farmhouse stood in the middle of a field of tall grasses like a little girl's abandoned dollhouse.

"There's the house," Sidda said quietly.

"Looks…nice…I guess?" Alec said. They both stared at it a bit, telescoping and looking for any movement.

"See anything?" Sidda asked.

"Nope. Though of course that doesn't mean that there aren't any gun-toting grannies in the basement."

Sidda rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, better watch out for those evil old ladies in dark corners. They can really do some damage."

"Hey," Alec said seriously, "You'd be surprised. See who's laughing when you get shot by one of them."

"_I_ wouldn't get shot by them," Sidda said, stressing the 'I'. "You, however, might be another matter."

"I never said they would shoot me," Alec said, "In fact, I bet I could charm them into giving me dinner."

"You're ridiculous." Sidda gave the house one last sweep then decided that there was no point in staying in the truck any longer. "Come on, let's go check it out. Even if we don't find Barker, we need to see if we can find out what happened to him or at least proof that he lived here."

"If he lived here," Alec said. He and Sidda hopped out of the car and headed cautiously toward the house. They still didn't trust the seemingly empty impression that they were getting.

They climbed the stairs to the porch without incident, and after ringing the doorbell several times, they finally decided to go in. If they had heard movement, they would've waited a bit longer, but the only noise they'd heard was the normal scuttle of small rodents.

The hallway they moved into was a mess. Tables were overturned, papers were strewn everywhere, pictures were askew. The kitchen and living room revealed the same thing.

"You know what I'm thinking?" Alec asked.

"Manticore," Sidda replied without hesitation.

"Looks like it was a while ago, too," Alec said, running a finger along the mantle above the fireplace. It came away grey with dust. He rubbed his fingers together and looked at Sidda. "Guess nobody's home."

"Well that's for sure." She stopped in front of the bookcase that was to the right of the fireplace and then moved to the one that was on the left side.

"What are you doing?" Alec asked.

Sidda reached forward and grabbed one of the books. Instead of coming out all the way, it stopped when it was sticking about forty-five degrees out. Sidda let go, and the book stayed suspended there. She smiled as they heard a clicking noise.

"So obvious," she said, pulling the bookcase out and to the side.

"What, do all the Manticore geneticists have secret offices?" Alec asked, stepping in to look at the small room that had been hidden behind the bookcase.

"Pretty much." Sidda felt around inside the room and flicked on a light switch.

"How do you know that?" Alec looked up from the papers he was rifling through. Had Manticore sent Sidda on some of those 'retrieval' missions?

Sidda smirked. "I actually read through a lot of the info Logan gave us. I'm guessing you didn't."

Alec shrugged and moved to another pile of papers. "I knew you would."

"Maybe next time I won't. Then what will you do?" She started on the other side of the room from Alec. It was a compact space; obviously there man had been more of a theorist than a lab technician. Sidda couldn't even make out what half of the notes mean. She'd never studied a whole lot of genetics. But that was ok, Max had. They could at least pack some of these up and mail them back to Max. Maybe there was something useful here.

"I guess we'll both just be screwed over," Alec said. He turned and looked at Sidda. "Don't you think it's funny Manticore never found this room? They're usually pretty thorough, even if this place is out in the boonies."

"Maybe they only sent one person to retrieve Barker," Sidda said, "Maybe they were going to come back and finish the job later. After all, they didn't know Max was going to blow Manticore up."

"I don't know, but this is definitely Barker's place." Alec held up a stack of mail. "Or else the residence of someone obsessed with him."

"Hmm, I wonder if there's anything interesting in there," Sidda said, moving toward Alec, "It'd be nice if he'd kept in touch with some of his old friends back at Manticore.

"You know, I wonder if that's it," Alec said, looking around. "If Logan thought he was alive, it would've been because he wasn't on the attack list. So maybe the guy was safer than he thought he was. Maybe he spooked and ran."

Sidda was skeptical. "Then why does the place look like it's been trashed?"

Alec shrugged. "Maybe to do what it almost did to us. Throw people off his trail. If everyone thinks Manticore got to him…"

"Then they certainly wouldn't expect for him to be alive right now." Sidda gave Alec an approving look. "Glad to know you can use your Manticore-given brains, buddy."

"Geez, thanks for the compliment, sugarcake."

"I'd rather not be a pastry," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "You're already the cupcake, I don't want to be a sugarcake." She walked over and stood at his elbow, looking at the letters in his hand. "Why would he leave correspondence behind? I mean, it's sort of stupid, especially if Manticore or the government may still be after him. Manticore would know about these secret offices."

"I'd never do it, but sometime's smart people are stupid about common sense things." He split the stack in half and handed it to her. "Ready for some heavy duty reading?"

"Sure, honey-bunch," she said, taking the letters and retreating to the only chair in the room.

Alec sat down on the floor and leaned back against the wall, setting his stack of letters on the floor beside him. He riffled quickly through the first few letters, tossing the bills and random notices into a messy pile. "Who brings the mail out here, anyway?"

"One of those mail-guys that the government hires, I guess," Sidda said, "They're supposed to be dedicated to bringing the mail, no matter what."

"Dedicated to putting money in their own pockets is more like it," Alec replied, flinging another bill at the pile. "There's another bill for the mail service. Half of these are bills for the mail service."

"You'd think someone paranoid enough to trash his own house would think to burn these letters," Sidda said, "Or not even have an address."

Alec nodded. "Sorta weird," he said, "Most ex-Manticore personnel keep their heads down and go for the high ground, get out of country. Seems like this guy attempted to have a normal life for a little while."

"A normal life might be nice," Sidda said. Hers definitely wasn't normal. Sitting in the house of a possibly dead guy and going through his junk mail was _so_ not normal.

After he finished his pile of letters, Alec stood up and stretched his legs. He nudged the stack of rejected letters with his foot. "Nothing in there."

"Nothing here, either," Sidda said. She huffed a sigh and tossed the last of her letters onto his pile. "Just a lot of useless things." She pulled her legs up into the office chair and spun around toward the geneticist's desk. "I just don't understand what he's doing here. If he's not dead, why make it look like Manticore trashed the house if he couldn't be sure that they'd think he was dead? And why leave this office like he was going to come back to it? Manticore would find it if they were really looking for him."

"Maybe he wasn't good at making a good scene."

"It's hard to believe that Manticore would hire someone that stupid," Sidda said as she started looking around the desk for notes.

Alec shrugged as he inspected the small room. He started pulling science books from a tiny shelf, flipping through each of them before putting it back on the shelf. Maybe he had hidden some notes that would be useless for Max in the pages. He was on the sixth book, one about human research test subjects, when something small and cream-colored fluttered out of the pages. He snatched it out of the air and turned it over so he could read the front of it.

"Hey, Sidda, look at this." He held up the letter for her to see. The script on it was tight and flowing and it was covered in stamps.

"Where's it from?"

"It doesn't have a return address," Alec said as he handed it to her, "But it's in Italian."

"But Italy's where the Hayden guy is."

"Weird, isn't it." Alec's eyes were dark as his mind churned, trying to find the link that was missing between the two geneticists.

Sidda snatched the letter from him and flipped it over, her eyes scanning the half page piece of paper. There were only a few short lines on it, everything written in Italian.

"What's it say?" Alec asked, crossing the short distance to lean over her shoulder.

"Not much, not really," she said, frustrated. "Just a few sentences, "_The terms have been agreed upon, and the price set. Come immediately to La Serenissima. Your new Queen awaits."_"

"All right, what the hell does that mean?" Alec demanded.

"It's not that hard if you know Italian," Sidda said as she looked up at him, almost embarrassed. "_La Serenissima_'s a really antiquated term for the Republic of Venice, which used to be an Italian state until the late 1700s."

"How long were you in training for Italy?" Alec asked, a bemused eyebrow raised at the random fact.

Sidda ran her hand over her forehead as she grimaced at the letter. "Too long. But anyways, the Republic of Venice refers to a lot of land, not just Venice."

"So this is still definitely Barker, not Hayden, right?"

"It's addressed to Barker, but the whole mention of the queen means that whoever got this letter went to Venice." Sidda handed him the letter and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Barker, Hayden and no clear information on either of them, just snippets Logan had found.

"How do you know it's Venice from that?" Alec asked, taking the letter and staring at the foreign words. He knew English, Celtic, Spanish, French, Latin, Mandarin, Farsi, Japanese, and a few varieties of Arabic, but he had never needed Italian, and Manticore never taught you things you didn't need to know.

"Venice is also known as the Queen of the Adriatic," said Sidda. "It's blunt if you know a lot about Italian, but if it was sent by a private American messenger service or something like that, they'd most likely never understand it even if they read it."

"So do you think this has something to do with our Hayden guy?" Alec asked as he dropped the letter on the desk. Sidda sighed and looked up at him.

"I don't know yet. Maybe Hayden's Barker or Barker's Hayden, however that works. Maybe they're using each other." She put her elbows on the arms of the chair and smirked up at him. "Why don't you tell me, dreamboat?"

"Give me a little while to figure it out, and I will, snuggle-bunny."

Sidda shook her head and started laughing. "We have to stop that. It's disgusting."

"I don't know, baby-cakes, I like it."

She was about to reply when a sudden deep rumble from overhead cut her off. "What that thunder?"

"Sounded like it," Ale said. He smiled at her roguishly. "We might be forced to stay the night here. We'll have to cuddle for warmth."

"We have a 103.5 F temperature. I think we'll be fine," Sidda replied as she stood up from the chair.

Alec blocked her way to the door, putting his arm on the doorway. "Yeah, but cuddling is more fun for the both of us. You might like it."

"Or I won't," Sidda said. She darted forward and ducked under his arm. "Come on, lover boy, let's at least get our stuff before it really starts coming down."

Alec shook his head before following her out the door and into the growing storm, the purple-grey clouds gathering thick and dangerous on the horizon.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Hey everyone! 100 reviews, YAY!! Lol, thanks for all the awesome reviews, everyone, I appreciate each one! Thank you to nattylovesu, 452max, Tina, Dark girl, x5 416, Kay, Lexy, Winchester girl, Amanda, Sasha, Maria, and Resse for reviewing the last chapter. THANKS!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 14

"They each only have one bed?" Robin frowned at the desk clerk. "Are you positive?" She knew Syl and Krit would survive and be perfectly ok with the arrangement, but Robin wasn't sure she was ready to share a bed with Seth.

The clerk frowned. "Do you need another bed?"

Robin sighed and wished with all her heart that there had been another cover that made more sense than two married couples.

She leaned forward and gave the clerk her most charming smile before whispering to him in a confidential manner, "We recently got in a fight, and as much as I want to work on things with my husband…" She gave a long-suffering sigh. "I swore I wouldn't share a bed with him till he came around to my side. Do you see what position that puts me in?" She put on her best cutesy-upset face.

"Ah, yes, yes." He beamed at Robin, totally taken in by her charm. That was one thing to thank Manticore for: irresistibility. "We'll have a portable bed sent there right away. They're just as comfortable as the ones already installed in the rooms."

"Thank you," she replied.

"Is everything all right, sweetheart?" Seth put down the suitcases that'd he'd been bringing from the car.

"Yes, I was just getting everything settled," she said, smiling sweetly at him. She turned and winked at the desk clerk.

"Where's Syl?" Krit asked, coming in behind Seth.

"She had to use the bathroom." Robin handed Krit the plastic card keys to their room. "You two are on the third floor, Seth and I are on the 15th."

Krit whistled. "Wow, you guys should have a good view from there."

"Yeah, of more tall buildings," Seth said.

"Very true." He glanced at where the discrete signs for the restrooms were. "I'll wait here for Syl. You guys go ahead and get settled."

"Sounds good," Seth said.

"Want to meet at eight?" Robin looked between the two of them. "We can get some dinner and then figure out where we want to go first."

The plan was agreed upon, and Seth and Robin headed over to the elevators. Robin leaned against the inside wall, grateful that soon they would be in their hotel room where she could relax for a little bit and feed Taylor.

She still couldn't believe how different Cape Town was from Seattle. She'd expected the warmth, the coastal geography, the all together-foreignness of a place that was on a different continent and a different climate. But she hadn't even imagined the difference that would come with being a nation that had never been hit by the Pulse.

Back when America had been struck, none of the African countries had really been a threat to the world. They'd managed to escape a lot of the technological battles between countries, and amazingly, because of that, they had come together to create a superpower that no one had ever expected to face. The African Union was the power center of the globe today, and everything important happened here. Well, in the African Union. South Africa was determined to make it on its own and still refused to join the Union.

Still, everything here was…bustling. Working. And there was lots of technology. In America, bits and pieces of the new technology had floated in but never a whole lot, and usually not the best stuff that was out there. But here, there was a lot of everything. There were people who had enhanced limbs or features, moving sidewalks, wavy glass walls that short ad clips played on, hover-platforms where bands performed, and just tons of stuff available to consumers. There was evidence of military technology too— spy cameras, a few genetically altered soldiers that had made Robin glad she was in a taxi with dark windows, and hoverdrones as well.

"Room key?" Seth interrupted her thoughts as they stopped in front of 1503. She handed it to him and shifted Taylor to relieve the pressure on her right arm.

"They're very efficient here," she observed as she followed Seth into the room.

"What do you mean?" he asked as he set the suitcases down.

Robin smiled as she sat on the bed closest to the window. "I told the desk clerk downstairs that we were fighting so that he would give me two beds."

Seth stared at her and then shook his head, unable to even think of anything to say.

Robin smiled and moved to the balcony. It was small, the way hotel balconies usually were, but at least you could see some nice patches of sky and feel a breeze. Music from some of the band platforms floated up to the balcony. Logan had done well in picking the hotel. It was in a tourist area of Cape Town, meaning it would be relatively safe for non-Africans. It was also fairly reasonably priced, though certainly not the dump that they would've gotten if Logan had paid the cheapest price.

"It'll be fun to eat dinner out tonight," Robin said, "The city is so alive already, I bet it's great after dark."

"Yeah, great time for murderers and thieves too," Seth said.

Robin laughed and came back into the room. "You're so paranoid."

"Just doing my job." Seth leaned over her and looked down at the sleeping Taylor. "She's such a little trooper," he said, smiling proudly.

Robin nuzzled Taylor's forehead. "Mhmm, she is. If I know her at all, she's going to wake up starving in a few minutes. That's why I suggested we wait until eight for dinner."

"Good plan," he said. "I think I'll take a shower while you feed her."

"Okay," Robin said. She sat down on the bed near the window again as Seth stepped into the bathroom. She could hear the water running and then the shower come on. Oh, a glorious, hot shower. She'd have to take one after he did.

Her eyebrows arched slowly as realization dawned on her. Seth was in the bathroom, taking a shower…naked. It had been a while, but she still remembered the smooth, hard planes of his sculpted body, the steel wire cables of his muscles taunt beneath his skin. Biting down on her lip, she suppressed the images, chasing them away with images of Manticore personnel telling them they had to have sex. There hadn't been anything truly sensual back then, and she wanted to take it slow now. She didn't want it to be physical…rippling, 8-pack abs beneath her fingers…slow.

She was saved from her daydreams when Taylor started whimpering, waving her little fists in the air. Robin smiled down at her as Taylor opened her eyes and stared around, making little grunts of annoyance.

"Hey, baby girl," Robin said, running her finger down Taylor's plump cheek, "Is Africa better than the plane?"

Taylor blinked up at her with accusing eyes, as if she was demanding to know why she hadn't been fed yet. Robin chuckled and tapped her nose. "All right, little miss priss, I know what you want."

Leaning back against the pillows on the bed, Robin cradled Taylor in her arms and started breastfeeding. When Taylor had first been born, they hadn't had any extra money to spend on formula and it seemed like a waste of money, and on the road a few weeks later, it was impractical to switch over to a bottle. Besides, Robin thought this was more natural and probably helpful for Taylor and herself. Robin hummed softly to Taylor and stroked the baby's peach fuzz hair. She was such a little miracle, her Taylor. Robin couldn't imagine life without her.

She lifted her head when the door to the shower opened, and Seth stepped into the room, a white towel wrapped around his waist. Her jaw dropped for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure. His eyes were wide as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry, I was just…" He looked down at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I forgot my clothes…"

"Oh, stop, it's not like you haven't seen my breasts before," Robin said. She hadn't expected him to come out of the shower so soon so she had shirked her bra and shirt, laying them on the chair beside her bed. "Don't act so innocent."

Seth looked back up at her, and his eyes burned as they landed on her. He nodded tersely as he walked over to his bag and dug around in it, dragging out a pair of dark jeans and a white button-up shirt. Robin secretly reveled in the way he moved, cautious, effortless, no motion unutilized.

Before he retreated to the bathroom, he moved around the edge of the bed with his graceful stride and walked toward her. She hadn't seen this exact look in his eyes before. It was something akin to raw desire, and she could feel the same hot, tense feeling gathering in her chest, like a white hot coil being wound in her heart. Her body wanted him, and she wasn't sure if she could tell it no. She clung to Taylor like a lifeline to reason as Seth stepped toward her, but she wanted him to.

He bent down, one hand curving over her cheek and then her chin, gently holding her face as his lips met hers for a brief, dangerous kiss. He pulled back, but he was already breathing heavy, like it had taken more effort to stop than to actually kiss. She opened her eyes and saw desire in his gaze even as he bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't," Robin said as she leaned forward, stopping his apology in the best way possible. Their lips moved together, fought against each other, but she used her free hand to thread her fingers through her head and bring him closer to her, to savor his sweet-tart taste and his hand on her face.

Someone knocked on the door, and Seth let his head drop forward, resting his forehead against Robin's. The predatory smile on his face was matched with her sweet but sly one.

"Guys, I want to see your balcony! All I can see from ours is the old naked couple doing the nasty across the street," Syl's voice came through the door and there was some more insistent knocking.

Seth stole a quick kiss from Robin and stood up, the look on his face making Robin's heart pound. He snatched his clothes off his bed and stalked into the bathroom, closing the door silently.

"Give me a moment, Syl," Robin said, "I'm feeding the baby." She laid a very full and contented Taylor down on the bed and grabbed her bra and shirt, hurriedly throwing them on as Seth came out of the bathroom, buttoning his shirt.

"Take your time," Krit said, "Let Syl reminisce over the images of the naked old people, in bed."

"Damn telescope vision," Syl snarled. Seth rolled his eyes at Robin before opening the door and letting the two of them in. Robin grinned at Syl as the other woman walked in and tried to quiet her still thundering heart. Maybe demanding two beds hadn't been the best idea after all…

-------------------------------------------

After Krit and Syl had decided that there just weren't any particularly great views to be had at their hotel in the middle of Cape Town, the five of them went out to dinner. Seth had insisted on taking turns with Taylor, and he now had the baby carrier. They planned on seeing if they could find any baby backpacks in the next few days. It would just be more convenient.

"I wonder what tastes good here?" Krit said, surveying their numerous choices in restaurants.

"Oh, come on, be adventurous." Syl grinned and pointed down a small, darker road. "I bet there's a hopping local spot down there."

"Or people out to kill tourists," Seth said sternly. "Let's keep our cover for a little longer, shall we?"

"Oh, you're no fun," Syl answered. Syl glanced to the left and gasped as a tourist shop selling hundreds of beaded jewelry and silky scarves caught her eye. "Krit, look!" She pulled him over to the shop before he could protest. She immediately started draping scarves and beads over Krit, thoroughly amused with dressing him in girly things.

"I don't think that matches my color," Krit said, eyeing a lime green and orange shawl that she was wrapping around his waist.

"Oh, hush," Syl said, "Be a good model. You have no idea what looks good on you anyway."

"That would be because I'm a man," Krit said, slightly exasperated. He gave Seth a pleading look, "Seth, tell Syl we've got too much to do right now for her to take time out for embarrassing me in public."

Seth rubbed his chin. "No, actually, we do have a little time to spare. Public humiliation is good for you Krit."

Robin smiled. "Good thing I'm not very hungry."

"I'm astounded you're not bounding over there after Syl," Seth said. "You do still like decorating, don't you?"

"Not people, necessarily," Robin said, "I'm one of those girls who gets tired of shopping after about an hour."

"That's a relief to know," Seth said. Robin dropped her eyes, trying to hide her startled expression. His statement seemed so casual, yet it implied that he planned on spending a lot of time with her. Robin wasn't sure she minded that.

The restaurant they settled on was some sort of grill that served both what they would consider normal food and some more traditional South African fare. To Robin's delight, they were actually able to get seats on a balcony that was on level with a nearby band platform.

"Can you imagine how well a place like this would do in Seattle?" Syl said as they sat down.

"It would be the hot spot of the elite," Robin agreed. She looked over the menu and quickly decided to join Krit in being less-adventuresome; she just didn't feel like eating fried caterpillars fritters or crocodile sirloins. Not after having spent so long on the airplane.

"So how long do you think it will take before we have to supplement out budget?" Robin asked, glancing at the prices on the menu.

Seth chuckled and shook his head. "Not long. The dollar isn't doing so hot in the world market right now."

Krit leaned over the edge of the balcony and looked around. Even from where he was in the middle of the tourist district, he could spot two soldiers. Their civilian clothes did nothing to cover up who they were. Everyone was keeping their distance from the soldiers even without thinking about it.

Krit sat back down in his chair. "I don't think supplementing our income will be as easy here as it was in Seattle."

"No kidding," Syl replied. She shut her menu firmly, having made her choice, "But I don't mind. A good challenge will sharpen my skills."

"Glad you're looking at it in such a positive light." Krit closed his menu as well. He was getting a burger; he had a feeling Syl would be trying the crocodile. "So after dinner, meeting in our room?" he asked.

"Sure, as good a place as any," Seth answered. He looked up. "We'll need to secure it."

"That's why I suggested my room," Krit replied. "Syl and I already set it up. We can get straight down to business."

"You'll have to remember to put out your 'do not disturb' sign in the morning," Robin said, "Otherwise they might mess some stuff up."

"Good point," Krti sighed. "I forgot how much I hate setting up operations in hotels."

Seth nodded for them all to be quiet as a waiter seated another party near them. There would be no more discussion of business until they returned to the hotel. They'd been a little bit too open already anyway.

-----------------------------------

"You do have a perfect view of their room," Robin said. She was standing on the balcony of Syl and Krit's room, watching the window that was across the street. There was no one in the room behind the window but there was a perfect view of an empty bedroom, complete with a bed of rumpled sheets.

Syl made a face. "I know. It's awful. It'd be okay if was a sexy het couple or a pair of super hot gay guys, but no, it's like the geriatric porn channel." She was standing beside Robin, one hand on the thick striped drapes and the other wrapped around a dark red scarf she had made Krit buy her on the way back to the hotel, saying that it would help them blend in since scarves were now a fashion statement in South Africa. He had one too, but his was yellow and black which only gave room for Syl to call him her 'big stupid bumblebee.' She let go of the drapes and made a face.

Robin smiled at her. "Glad it's you and not me."

"We could always switch rooms," Syl said, winking at her. "Me and Krit like the heights."

"No, thanks, but I'd rather not expose Taylor to, um, those sights," Robin said.

Syl sighed and turned around. "I tried," she said, looking at Krit, "But she's immune to my cunning."

"What cunning?" Krit said, glancing up at Syl, "You have none."

"Fine, she's immune to my charisma."

"Also something you lack." Krit turned his attention back to his laptop. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and the black laptop was in his lap. The piece of hardware was his one true possession, and he cherished it almost as much as he cherished Syl. In fact, he was usually nicer to it than he was to his lover. His baby had debugging software, eraser programs, a couple of external hard drives, hacking software, and quite a few accessories that could be synched with the computer. Max had her motorcycle, Zack has his unending pride, Ben has his ceaseless devotion, Syl had her craziness, and Krit had a suped-up laptop. Everyone clung to something.

"And you lack tact," Syl snapped, walking over from the balcony and flicking him in the head. He waved her away as his fingers darted across the keyboard.

"All right," Seth said, deciding to reign in the shenanigans by taking a command position. He was sitting at the small wooden table, and Taylor's baby carrier was on the table in front of him. While rocking the baby carrier, he talked to the others, making the odd image of a CO gone incredibly soft. "First things first. We need to get into contact with T.C."

"We can pick up an untraceable cell phone at that Uncle Teddy's place," Krit said. Unlike the other two teams who had been sent out on such short notice, they had been able to memorize all of their information so they weren't carrying around any extra papers with info on them. It wouldn't be good for a maid to pick up their stuff and run off to the officials with it.

"Not that he doesn't sound like a complete creeper," Syl said. She flopped down on the bed beside Krit and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, but Logan said he was a reliable source, and we do need a disposable untraceable cell," Seth said. "I can go do that tomorrow morning."

"Alone?" Robin asked, stepping back from the window and looking at him.

Seth shrugged. "It doesn't really make a lot of sense for us all to go, at least not there. Logan said Teddy doesn't like to deal with groups anyways."

"I'll go with you," Krit said, shrugging. "The girls can go check out a couple of our locations as tourists. The house in the tourist district seems pretty safe and so does the one over on the east side." The east side was where all of the fancy houses were; every rich person in the city leaved in East Side.

"We don't have to go somewhere safe just because we're girls," Robin said, her ears growing hot. She couldn't believe Krit would think that she and Syl weren't capable of going somewhere more difficult just because they were female.

Krit smirked. "Cool it, soldier. I was thinking about Taylor's safety, not about your gender role. I didn't think you'd want to take her somewhere dangerous just because she's a good cover."

Robin's skin tingled with embarrassment, and her cheeks went red. "No, oh…I wasn't thinking about us taking Taylor along."

"We're not taking her to Uncle Teddy's, so she'll have to go with you two," Seth said as Robin walked over and sat down in the other chair at the table. "You can be sisters again, taking in the sights while you do a sweeping surveillance. Nothing heavy, we don't want anyone getting suspicious. Besides, I don't really think either of those two houses are going to be the one."

"Why not?" Krit asked, shrugging. "They all seem to have the same potential."

"Yeah, but I don't think Sandeman's wife would be out in the open like that," said Seth, "He was able to stay hidden for this long, so I doubt he's been traipsing up and down some of the most visited districts in the new modern world."

"True, but it can't hurt to check," Robin said.

Seth nodded. "That's exactly what we're doing."

"Okay, so we're taking the tourist district and the East Side locations tomorrow for a sweep?" Syl asked. She smirked at Robin. "Hey, maybe we can pick up some African hotties while we're at it."

Robin grinned back at her. "Mmm, I like the sound of that." Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught Seth frowning at her. His jealously only made her smile wider.

"What about the money situation?" Krit said, his fingers still on his keyboard. Robin couldn't tell if he was looking up useful information or playing online video games. "We're going to need some more surveillance equipment for the bigger jobs."

"I was thinking about that on the way over here," Seth said. "And I noticed they still have ATMs here. They're guarded by hoverdrones, but I think we could find a way around the hoverdrones or something."

"They have ATMs?" Syl asked, her eyes wide. "That's insane."

"People don't beat them with baseball bats around here," Krit said, smirking at her. "Makes sense to have them we're they're not under constant physical attack."

Robin drummed her fingers along the table top and grinned over Taylor's baby carrier at Seth. "So we're going to steal from ATMs?"

"Until we can do some checking or credit card fraud, yes," Seth said. He chuckled when her grin grew wider at the confirmation. "I'll have to remember that deviousness makes you happy."

"I just like playing with technology," she said.

"Hey, I can help you there," Krit said, smiling at her, "I'm a technological guru."

Syl slapped him across the chest. "Three months in Japan do not make you an expert on technology, you fat bumblebee."

Krit bopped her upside the head with the heel of his palm. "In X5 years, three months in Japan makes me a technological savant. So deal with it, oh green-with-jealousy Syl."

"I don't care in the slightest about your technology expertise except when it benefits me," Syl said, poking him in the side. She spotted Taylor's baby carrier and suddenly smiled. "Besides, I'm way better with babies than you are."

"Are not," Krit said, not looking up from the computer. "Little children run in terror at the sight of your face."

"That's your face, smart ass, not mine," Syl replied. She swept off the bed and darted toward the baby carrier. "May I?" she asked Robin.

Robin bit her lip and then nodded. Syl might be nuts half of the time, but Robin was certain she would never hurt Taylor. Syl grinned and then slipped Taylor out of the baby carrier, cradling her in her arms. Taylor wriggled around and grinned up at Syl, probably happy to see the blond hair as anything else. Syl turned to Krit in triumph.

"See, Taylor likes me."

"Taylor is an awful gauge," Krit said, "She loves everyone. Besides, she's always happy when her mom is around."

"So not true," Robin said, "She can scream, trust me." She smiled over at Seth whose eyes were on their daughter, proud and content.

"Well, she's an unnaturally good baby most of the time," Syl said as she looked back toward Seth and Robin. "How about you guys go scope out the hotel while I see how long it takes her to realize Krit is a complete monster?"

"Oh, I don't know, Syl," Robin said, starting shake her head.

Seth laughed at her and stood up. "Come on," he said, "She'll be fine. I want to see all the hotel exits, anyways."

"Always with the mind of a tactician," Syl said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed Robin's arm with her free hand and hauled the other blonde to her feet. "And you, ma'am, are being ridiculous."

"Syl…"

While Robin mildly protested, Syl dragged her to the door, Seth following behind them. He and Krit shared a knowing look before Seth walked out the door, Robin by his side.

"Go on, lady," Syl said, standing in the doorway, "Have some fun with Mr. Unrequited Love. Oh, and don't come back. We have the baby bag."

She slammed the door in their faces, leaving Seth and Robin in the hallway, staring at the door. Seth shook his head. "I don't know how Krit does it. Living with that nutcase."

"I heard that!"

Robin grabbed Seth's hand and tugged him away from the door. "Come on, let's go before she does something drastic."

"I guess she could make us go on a dessert date or something," Seth said, smirking at Robin. "Out under the stars, eating sweets while the ocean crashes on the shore…"

"You're oddly poetic for an X5," Robin said, arching an eyebrow at him.

He blushed. "I had to pose as an English professor once."

Robin laughed and headed for the elevator. "Must have been an interesting assignment. And you made me hungry."

"Seems like we should fix that," Seth said, looking at her like he had before, back in their room earlier that day. Robin nervously pushed a piece of her hair back behind her ear and smiled up at him.

"I might like that."

-------------------------------------------------------

They made a cursory sweep of the hotel exists then hurried back in the room, where Seth commandeered the room service menu. "I'm the guy, and traditionally it's my prerogative to order the food," he said, looking down the dessert list.

"What if you order something I don't like?" Robin asked. She swiped something out of her suitcase and headed toward the bathroom.

"Well, tell me what you don't like and I won't get it."

"Hmm. Nuts, caramel, coconut. Love chocolate, pound cake, fruit, ice cream, cookies… oh, and no oatmeal raisin cookies. Yuck."

Seth smiled. "Got it." He heard the bathroom door close and looked up. "Hey, do you have everything you need in there?"

"Yes, why?"

"'Cause now you can't come out again until I say so."

Robin stuck her head out the door. "Is this another one of your male prerogatives?"

Seth tilted his head in thought and then walked toward Robin. She pulled in a little bit, startled and attracted by the dangerous smile on his face. Her heart started racing as he rested his hands on either side of the door, putting his arms well above her head and his face only a few inches away from her own.

"Yes," he said simply. His lips captured hers in a quick, inviting moment, then he drew away and shut the door firmly.

Robin sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door. She hoped room service didn't take long. She didn't think she could stay in the bathroom for any great length of time.

When she came out, the room had been transformed. Robin had to fight a smile when she saw that the second bed had been taken away. In its place, Seth had moved the small table and chairs that had been in the corner. Resting on the table was a plate piled high with fruits and cakes and cookies, all dripping with chocolate. A champagne bottle stood at the ready. And Seth… Seth stood there in khaki shorts and a white-button up that was completely open.

"Wow."

Seth grinned boyishly at Robin's amazement. It wasn't much, but he thought it was romantic enough. He hoped so. But he couldn't tear his eyes off of Robin. She had changed into a long, white sundress that was definitely not fit for wearing in public. Maybe it was meant to be worn over a bathing suit, but he thought it would still be indecent then. It was definitely see-through; it had a long slit up one side that came to just above mid-thigh.

He watched Robin as she sailed past him to pluck one of the chocolate-covered strawberries off the plate.

"Mmm, my favorite," she murmured, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the fruit.

He moved closer to her and wrapped his hands around her arms.

"Are you taunting me?" he asked, pulling the stem of the strawberry away from her fingers and setting it on the plate.

"Am I succeeding?" she asked coyly.

Seth wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hungry kiss, "I hope dessert can wait," he said.

"I think it can," she answered breathily. She kissed him back. It definitely could.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Hey everyone. Here's an Alec and Sidda chapter! Thank you nattylovesu and 452max for reviewing the last chapter, it was much appreciated!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 15

Alec threw back the tarp in the back of the truck, and he and Sidda just stared for a moment.

"Oh, I thought this wasn't a permanent stop," Dalton said uneasily. He glanced at the frozen blankness that was both Sidda and Alec's faces at the moment, and he realized he was in big trouble.

"Um, so…" he stood up a bit, wincing as his muscles protested, and his stomach turned to inform him he didn't have the energy for any movement. He ended up plopped back down in the corner of the truck, his back uncomfortable wedged against some knob of metal.

He looked up the sky and then at them again, trying to think of something that would break their silence. "Weather looks pretty nasty. Guess that's why we're actually stopping?"

"What are you doing here?" Sidda's voice was very, very calm. Not good. That was a danger-voice.

"I told you guys I wanted to help out…" Dalton muttered. He had to admit, being found in the back of the truck, cold, miserable, and starving didn't exactly help him present a strong, competent front.

Sidda and Alec looked at each other, and then a moment later Alec was up in the truck and hauling Dalton out by the collar of his jacket.

"Hey, ow, watch it!" Dalton yelled, "Ow, Alec, that hurts!"

"Dalton, this is not good," Sidda said, crossing her arms. She stared him down once Alec had him out of the truck. "Gem must be worried sick by now. I bet you didn't think to leave a note or anything when you left."

"I did, but I didn't tell her where I was going…I didn't want her to come after me," Dalton said sheepishly, "I'm gonna call her when we get wherever we were going." He looked at the farmhouse doubtfully for a moment; he'd been expecting more civilization than that. But he couldn't see the big deal. Other X6s had already left Terminal City on missions, and some had been gone for weeks.

"Dalton, we're going to Italy." Sidda suppressed the urge to shake some sense into the boy.

If Sidda had hoped that would dissuade Dalton, she was wrong. His face lit up like it was his first Christmas.

"Italy? Really? That's so cool! I've always wanted to travel to overseas. Wow, this must be an important mission, I'm glad I went with you guys."

"You _can not_ be serious," Sidda said through gritted teeth.

"I think he is," Alec said. "All right, munchkin, hop in the truck, we're taking you back." Dalton didn't even have a chance to argue with him.

"We can't take him back!" Sidda said, "We don't have time. If we'd found him before we got here…" she glared at Dalton. Dalton decided that now would not be a good time to mention how close they did come to finding him back at that gas station. Or the first time Alec had had to use one of the gas tanks…

"I know, I know, they could have watchers set on the place." Alec was frustrated. Dalton was a good kid, but he was still a kid. And Alec usually worked alone; working in a team was enough of an adjustment for him. He didn't need to be part of a trio. "I guess we'll just have to find a train. Though I have no idea where any stops are."

"We could just put him on a plane back to Portland when we get to Philadelphia," Sidda suggested. She glanced at Dalton. "Though first we need to find a phone and make him call Gem. She needs to know. And he deserves to be yelled at."

"Hey, I'm still here," Dalton said, slightly annoyed. "And I won't get on that plane. I'm going with you guys." He wasn't going to beg not to call Gem. He could handle that, if they agreed to let him come. It wouldn't be fun, but he had planned on doing it anyway.

"No, you can't," Sidda said. She put her hands on her hips, and Dalton was suddenly reminded of Gem. Ooo, creepy. "This isn't your mission, Dalton. You're needed back at Terminal City."

"Hey, guys, how about we take this argument inside?" Alec said, glancing up at the clouds. It was growing darker by the second, and a wind had started to pick up. It also looked like there was a sheet of grey in the distance, quite possibly incoming rain.

Sidda gave Alec a frustrated look, but she couldn't argue with the logic of talking about it inside. They would have a lot of talking to do before they could straighten this mess out. It figured that a mission could never stay nice and uncomplicated.

She and Alec grabbed their bags, and Sidda sighed as she realized that Dalton hadn't brought any bags with him.

"What were you planning to do?" she asked him as they headed for the house, "Just not change the whole time we were on the mission?"

"I didn't really have time to think about it," Dalton said. "I saw you guys packing, and I was afraid everyone was leaving. It was either jump in or get left behind. But I can buy some clothes or something when we get a chance," Dalton added quickly. If it was hygiene Sidda was worried about, he could fix that.

"Or you could go home and use your own stuff," Sidda said.

"That's not an option," Dalton replied stubbornly.

Alec tossed his suitcase at Dalton who nearly dropped it instead of catching it. "Watch it, grunt." He reached over and took Sidda's knapsack from her and headed to the house, knowing the other two would follow him. Sidda sent another glare toward Dalton before walking into the house.

Dalton groaned as his tired muscles ached and his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten for almost 24 hours now, and even though he was trained to go without food, he really, really wanted something to eat. Anything.

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It was dark in the house now that the storm was rolling in. Alec and Sidda put their stuff beside a wall, and Dalton put Alec's suitcase there too. He was tense but determined as the two adults moved around the big, messed-up room.

"What happened here?" he asked, nudging the remains of a footstool with his foot.

"What do you think, since you want to be useful?" Alec asked. He was crouching down next to the fireplace, checking the flue. Sidda was walking around and picking up the wooden pieces of the destroyed furniture. Dalton stared, wondering how they knew what to do without telling each other. Maybe it was an X5 thing.

Dalton wandered about the room. "Um, looks like someone came in and trashed the place." He put his hand against the cracking wallpaper and looked back at Alec. "Who used to live here?"

Alec and Sidda looked at each other, and Dalton knew that hadn't been a good question. He waited as Sidda handed Alec the pieces of firewood she had collected and he started piling them in the fireplace. After he had gotten them into place, Sidda gave him a few smaller pieces of wood and some cotton fluff from the couch cushions.

"Guys?" Dalton asked, wishing them would at least talk to him.

"It was a Manticore geneticist's house," Alec said, digging around in the pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a silver Zippo lighter and lit the kindling. Overhead, thunder boomed and shook the house. Rain started to rush over the roof and windows; a cool draft rushed around the room.

Dalton jumped and moved closer to Alec and Sidda. He wasn't a big fan of thunderstorms. "I thought we were going to Italy."

"You're going to Seattle," Sidda said, making a face at him.

"We're going to Italy," Alec said. He stood up and looked down at Dalton, making full use of his superior height. "Look, Dalton, I know this sucks, but you have to go back to T.C. when we get to Philadelphia."

Dalton crossed his arms over his chest and set his jaw in undeniable determination. "You can't make me go home."

"If we physically set you on the plane, then yeah, we can," Sidda said, glaring at him.

"You aren't going to ride the whole way back with me," Dalton said, not withering under her glare. "I'll get off when you have to go. I'll…I'll fight you."

Sidda pressed her head to her hands while Alec started laughing.

"What? I will," Dalton said, scowling at them. He hated it that they weren't treating him like an equal or at least someone who was physically their equal.

"Look, we'll call Gem when we get to Philly," Alec said, "For now, we're going to say you're going back, all right?"

"I'm not," Dalton said. He looked at the fire, not wanting to look either of them in the eyes. "I don't want to go back, not until the mission's finished."

"Dalton, why is this so important to you?" Sidda asked, watching his face closely. "Are you trying to prove yourself or something?"

"No, I'm just…" Dalton glared into the fire, wishing he could make them understand. "I just really want to do this. I want to go with you guys."

Alec sighed and patted the kid on the shoulder. "I know, but this isn't the best thing for your first mission. We're going to be doing things that you're not ready for, and we don't need a third. That's why there're only two of us on this mission."

"I swear I'll help out," Dalton said. He looked at them, his silent plea bright in his dark brown eyes. "I just want to try."

"This isn't a 'try' kind of mission," Alec said. He looked at Sidda, hoping she would step it. He didn't like seeing the pain in Dalton's eyes and the hopeful wishing that couldn't come true.

"It's going to be dangerous with two of us," Sidda said, pointing to herself and Alec. "And we know you can handle yourself in Seattle, but this is different, Dalton. There're mafias that you have to watch out for, and technology actually works there, and we're going to be undercover." She gave him a small smile. "Besides, I already have to watch his ass, I don't wanna have to watch yours."

"I guess I get to watch your ass, too," Alec said, smirking at Sidda. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You won't have to cover for me, I'll learn quick," Dalton said, "I know how to deal with the enemy, and you can teach me about the mafias. And you're going to teach Alec Italian, so you can teach me too."

Before either of the adults could answer, thunder crackled and popped. Dalton flung his arms up over his head, and Alec chuckled. "It's just thunder, kid."

The constant rain suddenly morphed, and it sounded like a thousand bullets were hitting the roof at once. All three of them instinctively went into action. Alec grabbed Dalton's collar and thrust him behind himself and Sidda while Dalton pulled a switchblade from his shoe. At the same time, Alec pulled the pistol from the waist of his jeans. Sidda slipped her hand into her jacket and yanked out her own pistol while blurring toward the door.

Silence covered the room as they realized their reactions were pointless and overdramatic. Outside the windows, hail stones the size of golf balls were bouncing across the ground. Alec took a deep breath and put his gun down, his face loosening from the stern expression of a trained killer. Near the door, Sidda stood up straighter and put the safety back on her gun, an embarrassed smile on her face.

Closing his switchblade, Dalton looked up at Alec. "See, I came prepared." His stomach grumbled, and he winced.

Alec rolled his eyes. "So you brought a weapon but no clothes, no food, and probably no money, right?"

"I told you, I was in a hurry," Dalton said. His eyes lit up at the idea of eating something, and his stomach voiced its own ravenous opinion again.

"I guess we should feed him," Sidda said, smirking at the starving look on Dalton's face.

"I don't know, I heard if you feed a stray, it always stick around," Alec said. He frowned at Dalton who had the good sense to give him an innocent smile.

"Yeah, but Gem will murder us instead of him if he starves to death," Sidda said, walking toward her knapsack.

Alec hissed and nodded. "Oh, yeah. Didn't you bring some nasty granola bars?"

"Yep. Seth gave them to me." Sidda pulled out a pair of protein-infused granola bars without any sweeteners and tossed them to Dalton. "Have fun, pumpkin."

"What are y'all eating?" Dalton asked.

Alec grinned and walked over to his suitcase. He unzipped the side compartment and pulled out two containers and two bottles of water. When he popped open the container, wonderful thick smells of cold ham and vegetables filled the air. "I raided the kitchen before packing." He smirked at Sidda. "See. It isn't all clothes."

She grinned, but Dalton's mouth watered. "Can I have some?"

"No." It was a unified, immediate answer from both adults. Dalton looked down at the granola bars and grimaced. Well, maybe they'd taste better when he was starving to death.

--------------------------------------

"He's so unprepared for this," Sidda whispered, shaking her head.

Dalton was asleep by the fire, Sidda's jacket under his head as a pillow and Alec's leather jacket draped over him as a blanket. Alec and Sidda were sitting nearby, Logan's papers spread out around them on the floor. After they finished going over the information on each page, Alec would fold the used pieces into paper airplanes, each one more elaborate than the last, and send them flying over Dalton and into the fire. Read once, remembered forever. Thanks, Manticore.

"Yeah, but a lot of us were at his age once upon a time, and we didn't volunteer," Alec said. He picked up the paper she had just put on the floor and started folding it.

"So why should he have to do the same things we did?" Sidda asked, "He should be able to be enjoy just being a kid."

Alec looked at her for a moment. "Really? You think kids can just enjoy being kids in Terminal City right now? And kids like Dalton who remember Manticore… all they remember is training for missions. They barely were old enough to think for themselves when Max set them free. Without discipline, they feel lost."

Sidda pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. She knew what Alec meant. The outside had been hard enough as an adult to cope with when she was first freed. Yes, she had reveled in the freedom, but at the same time she had no clue what to do. Even her outside missions hadn't prepared her for the real world. Jaunts with the elite, short missions to backwater countries and prisons, sheltered stays in convents… they were nothing like Hoquiam or the streets of Seattle.

"I gather you guys have had a problem with that," Sidda said for a moment, "People feeling out of place." It sounded like Alec was talking from experience.

Alec laughed darkly and sent a paper plane flying toward the fire. "Oh yeah, that's one of Max's biggest headaches. Everyone's restless, everyone wants to do something. But the Ordinaries are watching us, and right now is the worst time to do something."

Sidda nodded. She'd only been there a few days, and she'd already gotten a sense of that. She had been cooped up more than the others with her injured leg, but at the same time she felt sort of purposeless. She and Robin had accomplished their goal of getting to Terminal City, but they had never really thought about what might come after that. Sidda had been only too happy to volunteer for the mission. It gave her body something to do and her mind less time to think.

"Hey, how many of these things are left?' Alec asked, looking at the stack, "They seem endless."

"Logan was in a wordy mood." Sidda sighed and picked up the next piece of paper. Some of the information seemed useful, and some didn't. Unfortunately she wouldn't know until she read it.

"Logan would be." Alec glanced over Sidda's shoulder to see what she was reading. Sidda suddenly became more conscious of his breath on her cheek than of the words in front of her, even though her eyes were still scanning them.

"Ever hear of a personal bubble?" she asked quietly.

Alec's lips drifted dangerously close to her cheek. "Bubbles were made to be burst."

"Bubbles?" Dalton's sleepy voice came from beside the fireplace. "Where's bubbles?"

Sidda jumped and knocked her head into Alec's jaw.

"Warned you," she said. Alec winced and rubbed his jaw line.

"Yeah, I can see you weren't kidding."

"Go back to sleep, Dalton," Sidda said. She handed her paper to Alec. "We're going to be on the road early tomorrow, and I can promise you the truck isn't a comfortable place to sleep."

Dalton rubbed his eyes and stared at her a moment, then looked at the papers. "You could take your own advice," he said. But he immediately turned over and in a few moments was completely still as he fell back into a deep sleep.

"You know, he's right," Alec said, "I can finish these up."

"If anyone should finish them up, it's me. You've been doing most of the driving."

"Well, that's because I found out what a scary driver you are," Alec said, grinning at her.

Sidda shoved him. "The bunny just came out of nowhere!" she protested. It had been back in Montana, right after the Idaho border.

"Exactly. So most sane people would have run it over. But noooo, you had to try and swerve, you had to try to save the little bunny."

"Well, we were all ok in the end," Sidda said crossly.

Alec laughed outright. "Yeah, everyone except the bunny you were trying to save in the first place." He'd discovered to his great joy that the bunny was actually a sore point for Sidda. Few things seemed to faze her but killing the bunny did. It was just wonderfully ironic that in trying to not hit it, she had.

Sidda gave him a dirty looked and picked up another paper to bury herself in. She refused to talk about the bunny, and if Alec kept it up he would just have to deal with being ignored. For a few minutes, there was only the quiet rustling of paper as they continued to read.

"Do you have something against small, fluffy animals carrying on with their lives, Sidda?"

Sidda tightened her grip on the paper she was reading but didn't say anything. Violence bubbled at her fingertips, but she didn't want to attack him and wake Dalton up.

"Bet it had a family," Alec said, "Maybe it was the baby bunny. It did look sort of scrawny."

Silence from Sidda as she laid down her paper and picked up another one. Huh, it was no fun teasing her if he couldn't get a rise out of her.

"I mean," Alec said, playing with the well-crafted wings of another doomed paper airplane, "It had probably crossed that road a hundred times and dodged a hundred cars, and you just had to be the one to kill it." He smirked up at her. "How cruel."

Sidda looked up at him, her eyes hard. "I'm trained to kill," she said, her voice a deadpan, "Brainwashed to do it. So maybe subconsciously I knew I was going to hit the stupid rabbit when I swerved." She went back to scanning the paper. "Besides, it committed suicide. Not my fault."

"Yeah, sure," Alec said, snickering. "Its life was just so tough, out bouncing around carefree and everything, it had to end it. Sure."

Alec barely moved in time to catch the blur that was Sidda launching herself at him. He grabbed her arms and slowed her down, but she still knocked him over, landing with one knee on his stomach and her other leg extended, her blue-socked foot hitting his throat. Every movement was quiet, and Dalton didn't even stir.

Sidda leaned as far forward as she could with Alec holding her upper arms and glared at him. "Lay off the bunny. I mean it."

"I can tell," he said, staring at her, completely aware of her weight across his stomach and chest, her face close to his. His fingers burned where they touched her skin.

She pressed her foot tighter against his Adam's apple before rolling off of him. He sat up and fought the urge to rub his neck; an unorthodox move on her part, but it had certainly worked. And it was way too sexy that she had caught him off-guard like that.

Sidda stood up and played with the pockets of her jeans as walked over and sat down across from him. She avoided his intense gaze as she turned back to her paperwork, speed-reading what Logan had sent them.

"Sorry," Alec muttered after a few minutes.

"Whatever," Sidda sighed. She balled up the paper she had just finished and lobbed it at the fire. The flames lapped it up, sparking and curving orange and red over the paper and ink. It was her last paper, and her head felt heavy with all the information she had just absorbed. Or it could have been the sleepless night and day in the truck with no suspension.

She picked up a half-destroyed couch cushions and started playing with it, tugging at the fluff and pieces of cotton while Alec finished scanning the rest of his packet. Damn, stupid rabbit. Damn Manticore. No matter what she didn't, she couldn't stop killing innocents. It was like some disease they had given her, given all of the transgenics. Even when they were free, they could never really escape.

Her gaze was intent on the fire, but she felt Alec move. He settled next to her, his presence as warm as the fire in front of them.

"I guess bunnies are off limits?" He glanced at her, but her eyes stayed on the fire. He hadn't meant to piss her off like that, not to that point.

Sidda pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. "I didn't mean to," she said, feeling more like a grunt than a seasoned killer. "I tried not to. I mean, I tried to avoid it, and it just really sucks that it died anyway. It didn't even do anything." She tightened her grip around her legs, and her voice was a faint whisper. "I've done that to people, too."

Alec's chest clenched, and he stared into the fire. Rachel…her wide white smile, her hair in the sunlight of the music room, the laughter in her eyes. The worst thing she could have possibly done in her short life was cheat on a math test, and now she was dead. Because of him and what he hadn't done.

"Shit like that happens," he said through gritted teeth, trying not to remember that cold, grey grave, "It happened to all of us."

Sidda raised her head and looked at him, taking in the remorse on his face. Hesitantly, she reached over and put her hand on top of his. She ran her thumb over the curve between his thumb and pointer finger, stroking the callus created by holding a thousand guns. "But not everyone cared."

"No. They didn't." He turned his hand over and clasped her smaller hand in his as they both watched the fire crackle and burn.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out the story, please drop me a review! I love them and tend to write more when I get reviews. :-) Thank you to nattylovesu, sango32510, and 452max for reviewing the last chapter!!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 16

Sunlight streamed through the 15th story balcony window and played across Seth's face. His internal clock, designed to switch over automatically to any time zone, told him that it was around six in the morning. He was aware of the time, and he was aware of the warm body pressed against his, fitting perfectly against his chest.

Listening to Robin steady breathing, still asleep, he couldn't help the slow, sloppy smile that came to his face as he ran his fingers down her soft arm. She was beautiful and strong, the mother of his child, and all his; he knew that now with more certainty than he ever had before.

She stirred beneath his arm and gave a contented morning sigh. Tightening his grip, he pulled her closer, not wanting to let her go just yet.

"Mmm," Robin said, snuggling back against him, "Good morning."

Seth pressed his face against her rumpled hair. "Good morning. How are you?"

Robin giggled and pressed her head into the pillow. "A lot better, thank you." Truthfully, she felt incredibly pleased and happy with herself. And it amused her to no end that Seth couldn't stop playing medic even after a night like that. How was she…if he could see the grin on her face, he would know exactly how she was.

She rolled over so she could look at him, enjoy the sight of his handsome face. His eyes were so incredibly blue, an indescribable color. Brown hair, fluffy and messy, fell across his forehead and begged to be pushed to the side. His early-twenties face still clung to adolescence but there was nothing childish about the look in his eyes as he watched her, his eyes drinking her in.

Someone started slamming their fists against their door, and neither of them thought it was room service. "Hey, lovebirds, open the door!"

"She has a knack for interrupting these sorts of moments," Robin grumbled as she looked at Seth.

"It's Syl. Distraction is her skill," Seth said, rolling his eyes, "It's sort of what she was created for."

There was another round of knocking, and Syl's voice barreled through the door again. "Taylor's hungry and force feeding her formula didn't go so well last night."

Robin sat up, pulling the sheets around her. "Oh, my gosh, Taylor! I didn't forget, but I just didn't think about her being hungry." A red blush covered and burned at Robin's cheeks. "I'm a horrible mother."

Seth laughed as he sat up. He brushed the long gold locks back from Robin's face and kissed her blushing cheek. "You're not a horrible mother, you're fantastic."

"I almost let our baby starve," Robin moaned, "That sort of qualifies me for the completely horrid mother award." she jumped out of bed, pulling the sheets with her. Seth laughed and pulled the blanket up around his waist and lay back, just enjoying the sight of her running around with nothing but a sheet on.

"I'm stealing your shirt," Robin said, pulling his button-up off of the chair. Seth's eyebrows rose. That was even sexier than the sheet.

"Coming, coming!" she yelled, running to the door, "Hey baby, momma's gonna feed you."

"Awesome. Baby and Syl are both very happy," came Syl's voice as Robin opened the door. "Oh, I see somebody had a fun time. I'm glad my babysitting was of some use to you guys." Seth could just imagine Robin blushing again.

"Um, yeah, thanks." Yup, her voice definitely sounded embarrassed. "Seth and I have to get ready still… want to meet up in the lobby in an hour?"

"Sure. See you in a bit." The door closed and Robin came back toward the bed, cooing softly to a grumpy Taylor. Seth opened his arms up, and Robin settled against his side in preparation for feeding.

Seth chuckled as he caught sight of Taylor's face. Her normally calm and cheerful expression had been replaced with a pouting, disapproving one. She was obviously very, very unhappy that her mom had left her with other people for a whole night.

"We're going to have fun when you do finally make the changeover to formula and other baby food."

"I know," Robin groaned, "she is such a picky eater."

Seth kissed Robin on the forehead and then got out of bed. He had some stuff to get together before they all met up. He was ready to get a hold of a phone too. He wanted to know what other information Logan might have on the super soldiers all over the place. Logan had mentioned them briefly, but he hadn't indicated that there were as many of them as Seth had seen roaming Cape Town. Logan's information was usually pretty good, so that meant that something had to have changed in the last week or so. Seth wondered if it had anything to do with Sandeman's death.

-----------------------------

_**Two Days Later…**_

"Ok, so we've got three locations left." Seth sighed in frustration and stared at the map. He really hoped they turned something up today. They hadn't yet managed to find anything particularly useful. Logan wasn't even sure what was going on with the super soldiers; he'd given Seth all the information he could, but he couldn't figure out why they were all over Cape Town all of the sudden. Logan guessed it had something to do with Sandeman and so had warned the team to be very careful when scouting out the locations. Taking extra precautions had made their mission slightly harder.

"Krit and I will take this one," Syl said, glancing at Krit to make sure he was ok with her choice.

Krit shrugged. "As good a place as any." He looked at Seth, who was, after all, the tactician in their group. "What do you think?"

Seth studied the map for a moment then nodded. "I think that's actually a good choice. But be careful. I don't like how it's in the warehouse district and with good connections to the sea and rail lines." Seth pointed. "There's a concrete strip here too that's probably good for landing helicopters."

"So you think this might be it?" Syl asked, studying the location more closely.

Seth nodded. "Quite possibly. But I wanted to check the safer locations first. If he'd been in the houses, that would've meant he was just living a normal life."

"But now you think he might be involved with something government or military," Robin said softly.

"About the same thing here," Krit said with a laugh. Not that it wasn't in most places around the world. Heck, look at Manticore. A project that created super-soldiers, sponsored by the government. It made sense that Sandeman would have been pulled into the South African government. With his past history, he wouldn't have really had a choice. Especially if South Africa was trying to fight off the African Union; super soldiers were just too useful.

"I think we should check out this place, Seth." Robin pointed at a location not far from the area in the warehouse district. "It's possible they were allowed to have a home outside of where he worked. This location would make sense from a security standpoint. Maybe there's still some useful stuff there."

Seth studied the map for a moment. "I think you're right." He gave Robin a warm, approving smile, and she gave him a glowing one right back. This last week had been very, very good for their relationship.

Krit started to pack up the map and secure all the equipment in the room; they always had to be careful in case someone broke in while they were gone.

"Do you think I should leave Taylor at the hotel daycare or take her with me?" Robin asked Seth. The house was probably less dangerous than the building in the warehouse district, but it could still be unsafe. On the flip side, if someone got wind of the fact that they were snooping around, leaving Taylor could be just as dangerous as taking her.

Seth thought for a moment. "I'd say leaving her today is ok. But after this, I wouldn't. If the #5 location turns out to be what I think it is, we won't want to leave anything lying around. We don't want to risk them catching us."

Robin nodded and looked at Syl. "If you can, call us and let us know if you think you've been spotted at the warehouse. Seth and I will try to hurry back here and clear everything out and get Taylor."

"And you two do the same if something happens at the house." She smiled at Robin. "But I wouldn't worry. We're all professionals, and today's just a scouting day. It should all be fine."

Robin knew she had to push worry for Taylor out of her mind. She couldn't be distracted while scouting; if she slipped up and got Taylor into danger she would only have herself to blame.

"Come on, Krit," Syl said, watching impatiently as he finished shutting everything down, "We picked one of the farthest locations. We've got quite a ways to go."

"I know, I know," Krit said. He looked over his shoulder at Seth and Robin, "You two go on ahead, don't wait up for us."

Syl came and sat on the edge of the table while the other two left to go deliver Taylor to the nursery. As much as Robin hated parting with her baby daughter, the nursery had been a lifesaver for the team. Things would have just been a lot more complicated if they'd had to tote Taylor everywhere.

"I'm actually sort of hoping the military is holing up there," Syl said, playing with the coffee and tea packets. "I'm sort of ready to see some action."

"Me too," Krit admitted. As good as he was at snooping, he had been created to be a soldier. He didn't like sitting around and watching things all the time.

When Krit was finally finished the two of them left and caught a bus that stopped right at the edge of the tourist district that was closest to the warehouses. From there they walked, just to be on the safe side. Tourists trying to take a bus into the warehouse area would have just been too noticeable; it wasn't exactly a common hot spot.

"Well, it's definitely not much to look at," Krit said when they got there. It looked just like all the other warehouses around it. Very plain, not many windows, definitely no place a normal person would hang around. And actually, sort of hard to spy on. It was right out in the open in the middle of a big patch of concrete.

"It's perfect," Syl said, a huge smile on her face.

"You and your attraction to danger," Krit said, shaking his head. But he grinned at her, loving how alive she looked at the moment. She always seemed happiest when she had a difficult challenge ahead of her.

"What can I say? I like the adrenaline rush."

"You could get an adrenaline rush off of other things," Krit said.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Bungee jumping? Cliff diving? Roller derby?"

"I've already done all that."

"And you've also already broken into a military genetic research facility," Krit retorted, but he grinned at her. Sometimes there was just no arguing with Syl. She'd have her way, no matter what he said or suggested.

"Yeah, but I've never broken into a _South African_ military genetic research facility," she said, winking at him. "That makes all of difference."

They walked around the perimeter, trying to make it look like they belonged there. No one else was around, and Krit could see security cameras on top of the fence that blocked the public from the warehouses. He flicked his eyes toward them, and Syl nodded. She had seen them too. Beyond the fence, there wasn't much activity. A few trucks drove in through the gates, a few more trucks drove out.

It was possible that this was a seldom used warehouse, but it was even more likely that there were underground tunnels leading into and out of the place. Every soldier-specified nerve in Syl's body told her that this was the place they had been looking for; this place had a connection to Sandeman.

Krit and Syl wandered around to a side alley that was out of the range of the cameras and leaned against the wall next to each other. Syl played with the red scarf tied around her wrist and glanced out toward the alley entrance.

"That's our place," said Syl. She didn't want to say too much just in case the alley was somehow bugged, but she needed to talk to Krit and figure out their plan of action.

"Yeah, but we don't know much about it," Krit replied. "I don't like being around here out in the day or anything."

Syl grinned at him, childish in her delight of danger. "But what's the fun in that?"

"I personally think that not getting killed is pretty cool," Krit said, making a face at her. "Some people don't like reporters snooping around their place." Their disguise while roaming around in a pair was that Syl was a reporter and Krit was her photographer; they were from Australia, and officially they were doing a study on South African culture, but their investigative studies often led them to strange places. Like this trek into the underbelly of South African shipping…

"They won't kill us," Syl said, "We'll only ask a few questions and then leave."

Krit shook his head. "I don't know…I don't think it's a good idea."

"You're just paranoid." She tugged on his shirt sleeve, pulling him toward the front of the alley. Her voice floated up to him in a quiet hiss. "I just want to get a look at their security at the gate. We'll come back tonight."

"I still don't like it," Krit said. He was always the more responsible of the two, the one who knew when to say enough was enough. "That could be really dangerous if it is the place."

"We won't stay long, worry-wart. Promise."

"Fine, but if I say we go, we go."

"Got it, oh great and fearless leader."

Krit let Syl lead the way to the gate where all the trucks were entering and exiting the facility. With her usual self-possessed determination, she marched up to the guard house. Immediately, two men came out of the guard house, muscles bulging like someone had stuffed cannonballs under their skin. Both of them were holding AK47s with expert grips. Syl stared in appreciation of both types of guns until one of the guards grabbed her shoulder and pushed her backwards into Krit.

"Hey," she exclaimed in a heavy Aussie accent, "You haven't even asked what I want yet."

"You're unauthorized to be here," said the guard. He and his partner pulled the guns up to their shoulders and leveled them at her and Krit. Immediately Krit tensed, wondering if he would have time to pull Syl out of the way if they decided to fire those things.

"We gave you time to leave," the guard said. Krit had an idea that these guys were a couple of the Red soldiers that Max had mentioned. He tried to stay calm as he looked at the two machine guns that could decimate him and Syl in a matter of seconds. "If you leave now, perhaps we will not kill you." The guard's finger grazed the trigger, and hard eyes glared at the two transgenics.

"But all we want-"

A gunshot cracked through the air, and Syl stumbled backwards, her hands on her left thigh. Krit caught her and pulled her back, fury clouding his eyes while his mind torn in a war between ration and anger. He wanted to kick the guns out of their hands and murder them right there, but Max had told them that the Red series could be a lot stronger than the X5s. Together, he and Syl probably wouldn't dent one of them. And if he showed off his powers here, they'd know that transgenics were in the area. Syl's hand caught his, and she shook her head, recognizing the same rational that he did for once. For show, she cried out and stared wide-eyed at the two super-soldiers.

"Go. There will be no more warning," said the second guard, Krit's head in the sights of his gun.

Krit nodded. "We're going." He picked up Syl, who probably didn't want to be carried but needed to be, and walked away at a painfully slow pace.

"Well…that was fun," Syl said, leaning her head against the crook of his neck. Krit sighed and clung to her lithe, small body, wishing he could stop her from doing stupid things like getting herself shot. But she was Syl and she would always put herself in dangerous situations while he would be there as her conscience and, if she wanted him to be, her protector.

--------------------------------------

"Aw, come on, guys, this isn't fair."

Alec rolled his eyes at Dalton and continued dialing Max's cell phone number. After having spent the last two days on the road in the cramped cab of the little truck, the trio had finally arrived at the Philadelphia International Airport. Their first order of business had been to find out when the first flights to Venice and Portland were heading out.

As luck would have it, the flight to Italy was leaving in four hours. The flight to Portland did not leave until next week. Dalton was adamant that he wouldn't stick around to get on the flight back to the West, and both Alec and Sidda were nervous about leaving him in Philadelphia by himself for that long.

"We're not going to tell Gem why you're not going back to Seattle," Alec said, leaning against the pay phone stall as the call went through the lines. "That's your own personal verbal bitch-slap waiting to happen."

"But she'll take it better if you tell her," Dalton said, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Sidda smirked at him. "Hmm, I don't think so. I really think she'll like getting the chance to talk to you personally."

"And I'm going to enjoy listening to it," Alec said. The phone started ringing, and Max picked up after a few moments.

"Max here."

"Hey, Max," Alec said, "It's your favorite smart ass." Dalton started to step away, but Alec reached out and snatched him by the collar of his oversized jacket, hauling him back toward the phone. "We've got Gem's missing mutt."

He heard her clutch the phone tighter and press it harder against her ear, as if she couldn't believe what he had just said. "What the hell, Alec, is Dalton with you? Did you take him with you?" She was angry, furious even, but there was relief in her voice.

"Not on purpose," Alec said. "He sort of tagged along in the back of the truck, under the tarp." He gave Dalton a shake before letting him go again. "Problem is, Skippy here is going to have to stay on for the whole ride now."

"Why?" Max growled, "He's not qualified."

"I am, too," Dalton grumbled, glaring at the phone. With their enhanced hearing, all of the transgenics could hear both sides of the conversation.

Max took a deep breath. "Dalton. Gem's been going crazy, and we've been leading search parties night and day for the past three days. We thought you were dead. You are in _so much trouble_."

Dalton's face paled, and he stared at the phone. Max sounded like she was going to rip him a new one, stuff it with gangrene and let him die a slow, horrible death. "I just wanted to help out," he said in a small voice.

"You sort of did the opposite," Sidda said, reiterating a point she and Alec had made about a thousand times over during the ride to the airport when Dalton had been trapped between the two of them with nowhere to go. It had been a long, tedious ride.

"Dalton wants to talk to Gem about just why he can't come home," Alec said, grinning at the kid. Dalton's face grew even whiter, and he shook his head.

"I think that's a great idea," said Max, "She's in the next room, give me a minute."

"We can wait," Alec said. He thrust the phone at Dalton. "Have fun."

Dalton gulped and stared at the phone as if it was going to suddenly come alive and clobber him on the head. He didn't even have a chance to put the phone to his ear anyway.

"Dalton? Are you there?! I can't believe you ran away, Max told me! Dalton! What do you have to say?"

Dalton decided that the best course of action was to keep the phone away from his ear so that Gem's voice didn't burst his eardrum.

He hesitated and gave Alec and Sidda one last pleading look. Neither of them relented. Instead, both were wearing very similar smirking expressions.

"Dalton? Are you there?"

"Yes, Gem," Dalton muttered.

"He's there all right." Dalton could hear Max in the background.

"I left a note…" Dalton started, shoving his hand into his pocket. He froze as he felt crinkled paper with his fingertips. Crap. He had forgotten the leaving part.

"What note? I didn't see a note." Gem's voice was dangerously cold and measured.

"Um, well, I think I forgot to leave it…" Dalton said. "I was kind of rushed when I hopped in the truck, so a few things might've slipped my mind."

"Oh, yes, just a few things," Gem said sarcastically. "Like, perhaps you weren't even supposed to be on this mission in the first place?" Her voice rose a little bit at the end as she struggled to keep control.

"Well, maybe I wasn't, but I had to prove to you guys somehow that I could do more than what you were giving me," Dalton said defensively. "If I never got the chance to show you, how would you guys know what I can do? I promise I'll be helpful, Gem."

Dalton could hear Gem sigh on the other end of the line. "Dalton, we have a lot of experienced people here. You were slowly being given harder assignments just the same way you would've been at Manticore."

Dalton knew that was logical, but he also knew that the assignments he'd been getting were a heck of a lot safer then what the X5s had gotten at Manticore. Maybe that was just because there weren't any truly exciting assignments. But he'd found one that promised to be good, and he wasn't giving it up. He KNEW he could be useful.

"Well, then this is just the next level up," Dalton said stubbornly. "I'll go with them to Italy, do whatever they ask me to, and not get in the way. Come on, Gem."

"No." Gem said firmly. "Alec and Sidda can handle this perfectly fine. You need to get on that plane that's coming home."

"No." Dalton was just as firm. "They can't make me go home. If Sidda and Alec don't let me come, I'll just stay here."

"Dalton, I can't believe you. Are you serious? This mission was not planned to include you, you may be jeopardizing it. You don't even know anything about it."

"Sidda and Alec can tell me." Dalton was glad that Gem couldn't see the looks on Sidda and Alec's faces. He hoped they would tell him. It would mean an awful lot of eavesdropping otherwise.

"Let me talk to Sidda," Gem said. Dalton was relieved; perhaps this meant Gem was giving in. He turned to Sidda.

"She wants to talk to you," he said, grinning at her. Sidda couldn't make him do the explaining now. Sidda gave him a dark look before grabbing the phone from him.

Dalton had a feeling that at this point Gem wanted to make sure for herself that there was no possible way that Sidda and Alec could ensure that Dalton could go home. And Dalton was right; as soon as Sidda got the phone Gem began grilling her on all possible modes of transportation.

Dalton was very grateful for the fact that they were in a time crunch; they didn't know who might have been watching the house in South Dakota, so they were trying to hurry and leave the U.S. before they were found. Dalton also found it sort of amusing that Sidda didn't mention that they'd already bought Dalton's airplane ticket. They just hadn't had time to wait around and debate; they couldn't risk the tickets being sold.

"Yes, Gem, we thought about the train, but we don't have time to get there and put him on it and then get back in time to make our flight," Sidda was saying. Alec gave her a sympathetic look and then raised his eyebrows at Dalton.

"You ever heard of hazing before?" Alec asked Dalton.

Dalton shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Where they torture new members of a group or something, right?"

Alec grinned. "Exactly." He nodded his head at Sidda, who was winding the phone cord around her finger, showing how much Gem's slightly accusing questions were stressing her out. Sidda noticed them watching her, and she gave Dalton a burning glare.

"I'd expect some of that in Italy." Alec said. "I don't think Sidda will be in the mood to treat you nicely."

Dalton grimaced. He thought Alec was probably right.

------------------------------------------

"Headache?" Max gave a grateful sigh as two strong hands firmly massaged her shoulders. She bowed her head to allow the hands more access to her tense muscles.

"Careful," she murmured.

"I'm wearing the gloves," Logan replied.

"How are the teams doing?" she asked. They were constantly on her mind now. The cure for that stupid virus actually seemed in their grasp for once. She knew she and Logan shouldn't be getting so hopeful, but everything seemed to actually be working out. Maybe luck wouldn't be against her for once.

"They're all working on it as much as possible. Amazon thinks they've found their guy, but they're going to tail him to make sure. Italy's on their way over, so they haven't had a chance to find anything yet."

Max laughed, "And Gem's going to be furious and upset until they get back."

"Well, yeah. I'd tried to keep her busy as much as possible."

"And the South Africa team?" Max asked quietly.

Logan's hands stilled on her shoulders and then his hands moved away. Max looked up as he moved around so that he could look at her. "They think they might have found the location where Sandeman's wife is."

Max's heart double-timed it for a few seconds. "Are they sure?"

"No, they're doing some surveillance to look further into it. But Seth is pretty confident about the location."

Max looked down, focusing on the speckles that patterned the plastic folding table. "I wonder if what we need will be there, with her."

"I sure hope so." Logan moved his hand so that it rested on hers. He curled his fingers in gentle reassurance and she squeezed his hand back lightly. It would be wonderful to feel bare skin again, not just leather and plastic and other fabric barriers. Just Logan.

"How are negotiations with the government going?" Logan asked, releasing her hand.

"Good as can be expected." Max leaned back in her chair. "They're tying us up in all the little details, but I think they want us too badly too let us go. They're annoyed they'll have to pay us when we used to do their drudge work for free, but still, we're the best they got."

Logan nodded, "You know Max, between contracts with the government and the artworks we've been selling, Terminal City will actually start earning money."

"It'll be nice to buy some decent stuff for the place."

"What about that farm you were looking at?"

"I've been afraid to mention it; I don't want them to say no," she said.

It hadn't taken long for Max to realize that Terminal City just wasn't going to cut it for the transgenics. They needed more space, and they needed to be able to get out. She'd thought about how when Zack went to the farm, she'd wished for such an uncomplicated life. When she'd mentioned it to Logan, he had asked her why not. He'd pulled up some for sale pages, and he and Max had taken a day off to go look at several farms. They'd found a perfect one right outside of Seattle. It already had a large farmhouse and a huge stable. It could be a perfect retreat. But it would definitely cost money and labor: there was a lot of fixing-up needed.

"You don't have to necessarily come right out with it," Logan suggested. "Starting talking to people about it casually. Get them used to thinking about the idea. Then formally propose it."

"I knew I kept you around for something," Max said, grinning at him. He was good at coming up with solutions she hadn't even thought of. She tended to things a little more straightforwardly than he did.

"Always happy to help."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thank you nattylovesu, DancerInTheDark101, and 452max for the reviews! They're highly, HIGHLY appreciated!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 17

"Hmm, conspicuous… yet not. I think it's perfect for our dear Sandy." Robin glanced at Seth, and he laughed and wrapped his arms around her. She continued to gaze sourly at the house, wondering how nice Sandeman's life had been while the Manticore children were being tortured.

The house was a pale-colored muted Victorian, set into a neighborhood that seemed like people were living there because of old money or old age. The street was quiet and lined with stone walls and thick trees. There were a few people out walking, but in general the neighborhood didn't seem to be up yet. It was the perfect hideaway for an old man who had been part of a cult with a superiority complex.

"I'm glad you found that the home was for sale, I don't think we would have fit in as tourists," Robin whispered to Seth. They had decided to go with the cover that they were perspective home buyers.

"Unfortunately, it also means we probably won't find anything, even if he was here," Seth said, "I'm sure they would've cleaned it out thoroughly." They went through the wrought-iron gate then started up the steps. Supposedly a realtor would be there to meet them in five or ten minutes; they had called the realtor's office after splitting up with Syl and Krit. They had decided to come early so they could look around a bit without her.

"But if it's up for sale already, then he must have moved out before even coming to America. If he even lived here."

"It makes sense," Seth said. "If he had planned on staying in Seattle, why not put the house up for sale? Once it sold, it would have given him enough money to live and do whatever he wanted in Seattle for a while."

They sat down on the porch swing, and Robin caressed one of the flowers that came pushing over the porch railing. There was a huge bush of some sort of pink-red flowers that grew in the corner right next to the swing.

"The realtor's late," she commented.

Seth looked at his watch. "Well, lucky for us we have all day. Since the house is for sale, quizzing her is our best bet. We have to stay around and talk to her."

"I know." Robin leaned against Seth's shoulder and closed her eyes. It almost felt peaceful, if she didn't think about why she was sitting there on that beautiful porch. She felt Seth stiffen next to her, and she opened her eyes. Coming up the steps was a young brunette lady in a dark red sundress, all smiles for her potential customers.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kensington?" Seth and Robin stood up and shook her extended hand.

"Ms. Bavour." Seth smiled at her.

"Oh, do please call me Amelia. I don't like to be formal." She flashed a bright smile at Seth and then moved to the door to unlock it. Robin could feel all her muscles tensing; she did not like the way that woman had looked at Seth. She had no right to look at him that way.

"Can we find another realtor?" Robin hissed at Seth after the woman had entered into the house. Seth looked at her, surprised.

"Robin, there's no need to." He frowned and glanced at the door to the house, then back at Robin. "Do you think she's not trustworthy or something?"

Seth hadn't noticed Amelia's smile. And it would be petty to insist on a new realtor…it wasn't like they were ever going to see the woman again. Still, something about her set Robin on edge.

"No, never mind," she murmured, pulling the confused Seth toward the door. "Everything's perfectly fine." They stepped into the house and were greeted by the lovely Amelia, posed at the bottom of a polished wooden staircase. Robin set her teeth and hoped that the tour of the house wouldn't take too long.

Amelia lead them throughout the house, chattering on and on about the beautiful qualities of the home. Robin had to agree, it had a lot of potential. She would normally be excited if she and Seth were actually buying the home, and she had the chance to decorate it. But she found it annoying the way Amelia kept chatting only with Seth, and laughing at everything he said, and…grrr, was the woman that desperate? Really.

Robin was actually starting to find it amusing by the time they were on the third floor. The woman was beginning to get the idea that Seth was completely unaffected by her, and her irritation was becoming obvious. Robin decided to start asking the questions before the woman became too upset to still be friendly.

"So what did the previous owner of the house do?" Robin asked conversationally as they admired the view of the back yard.

Amelia gave Robin a strange look; piercing and nervous at the same time. "Oh, I think he was mostly retired," Amelia said, "He obviously liked gardening, as you can see." She was trying to draw their attention back to the yard.

"So perhaps a botanist?" Robin pressed.

Amelia frowned. "I really don't know."

"How long has the house been on the market?" Seth put in smoothly. A fairly typical buyer's question; they could expect lower prices if it had been a while.

"Oh, only a few weeks actually. We were contacted by the former owner's lawyers and informed that the widow wished to sell the house. You're very lucky to have caught it. I'm sure it'll be sold after a few more weeks," Amelia pressed.

Robin and Seth looked at each other. A few weeks? Perhaps Sandeman had sold it before going to America. But a widowed wife a few weeks ago? Was it an unhappy coincidence that she had portrayed herself as a widow before Sandeman died, or had this house just belonged to another person?

They headed back down stairs and the realtor turned toward the, waiting for their comments.

"We'll have to think about it," Robin said firmly, glancing at Seth. She smiled at Amelia. "But I'm sure you'll be hearing from us soon." It couldn't hurt to keep their contact with her open. If they didn't find anything else on Sandeman soon, the realtor's office might just be their next best bet.

------------------------------------------------

The flight from Philadelphia to Venice lasted seven smooth, turbulence-free hours, and Alec, Sidda, and Dalton slept the whole way. An airplane seat with a tiny pillow and a couple blankets seemed luxurious compared to the truck cab where some of the metal parts were exposed.

"_Buon giorno!_"The intercom system crackled as the pilot started talking. _"Il nostro volo arriverà dentro l'ora ed è attualmente 8:30 nella mattina_."

"It's too early for Italian," Dalton grumbled, burying his head into the pillow. He was sitting across the aisle from Alec and Sidda, stuffed in the seat beside a large man who enjoyed reading cook books and had bad flatulence problems. Dalton was already starting to understand the meaning of hazing.

Sidda, who was curled up in the seat with her back pressing against Alec's side, cracked open her eyes to glare at Dalton. "No more English, Dalton," she said, speaking in Italian, "I didn't spend those two days in the truck force feeding you Italian just so you could complain about how you don't want to use it."

"I didn't say I didn't want to," he replied in nearly perfect Italian, "I just don't wanna hear it this early in the morning."

Reaching over the space between the rows of seats, Sidda flicked him on the nose. "Quit complaining, grunt." He batted her hand away and pushed his face into the pillow, muttering about how all X5 females were patronizing and evil.

As Sidda settled back into her seat, Alec shifted and looked out the window. "Damn. Good view."

Sidda glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the turquoise lagoon and the ancient storybook city. Her fingers tightened over her armrest as she sat back in her seat. The last time she had seen the Adriatic had been when last year when she was flying back to Manticore.

"Air sick?" Alec asked, amused.

She rolled her eyes at him. He knew full well that Manticore creations never got motion sickness; one of the many benefits of being genetically-altered. "No, just…thinking about the last time I was here."

"I thought you said you lived in a convent," Alec said, turning to look at her.

"I did," Sidda replied with a half smile. Alec's Italian was almost impeccable already; she knew that within the day he would be speaking like a Venetian native. She thumped him on the arm. "But there aren't exactly airstrips out in the country."

"True," Alec said, smirking at her. He looked out the window again. "How come I never got any Italian missions?" he complained.

"They only gave those to the cool kids," Sidda said.

Alec snapped in fingers in mock-regret. "I knew the whole troublemaker act would backfire one day."

"Yeah, see, if you had just been an automaton like everyone else, then you would've gotten the really awesome missions."

Alec laughed. "And I'm supposed to believe that you were a perfect angel?"

Sidda lowered her head and smiled up at him, big hazel eyes wide with innocence as she peered out from underneath long eyelashes and wisps of blond hair. "Of course I was."

"Now that's just scary," Alec said, shaking his head at her. "I mean it. That is terrifying."

Tossing her hair, Sidda threaded her fingers through each other and cracked them. "They did a pretty good job with the innocence factor."

Alec grinned. "You know, if we'd ever gone a mission back then, we would have been unstoppable."

"What do you mean?" Sidda peered around to see if anyone was paying attention to their whispering. All of this talk about missions might catch someone's interest.

"With my boyish charm and your girlish innocence, no one would've stood a chance," Alec said. "People would've never been able to say no to us working together."

"Yeah, but business was different back then," Sidda said, "We have to do things another way now."

"I dunno, I think a few of the old tricks might still work," Alec said, lowering his voice, "And I can always teach you new ones."

"Are we still talking about business?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. She held still as he leaned over into her seat, his eyes holding hers.

"Are we?" he asked. She could feel his breath on her face, hot and spiced, just like she had that night back at the geneticist's house. Her panic reflex kicked in, and she shoved him back into his seat.

"Yes," she said, staring ahead at the seat in front of her, "We are."

"No," Alec said, trying to catch her eyes again and failing, "We weren't."

"Well, now we are," Sidda said, "So chill out, stud, and get ready to land."

-------------------------------------------

Luckily everything went smoothly; with no baggage to check they were able to just stroll off the plane and right out of the airport.

"So what now?" Dalton asked. They were standing on the curb outside of the airport, and it seemed liked Sidda and Alec were looking for something. "Are we going to meet anyone?"

"Nope," Alec said. He touched Sidda's arm lightly and nodded at something.

"Come on, Dalton," Sidda said. She and Alec started walking off in the direction Alec had been looking.

"What's going on?" Dalton asked, rushing a bit to keep up with them. "I know you guys are still annoyed with me, but it would at least be nice if you told me what we're doing."

Sidda grinned at Dalton as both she and Alec stopped. "Well, lowly grunt, we are on the mysterious mission of acquiring a taxi. Satisfied?" Dalton blushed as he watched Alec talk to the taxi driver, making sure that it was open.

"Yeah, I guess," Dalton muttered. "But where are we going?"

"This one's good," Alec said, coming around. He glanced at Dalton. "The kid has a point. Where do we want to go?"

"Well I looked up a few hotels while we were at the airport." Sidda opened one of the guide books she'd picked up before they had left. "Do we want an expensive place or cheap?"

"Cheap," Dalton said immediately. He was assuming they didn't have a whole lot of money with them.

"Expensive." Alec grinned at Sidda. "It's a vacation, we should enjoy ourselves. You know we can acquire funds as needed." Sidda narrowed her eyes at his easy conscience when it came to stealing, but she was smiling too. A really nice vacation would be good.

"And maybe we could find an empty house after a day or two," she said thoughtfully. "It could be fun."

"Yup." Alec moved so that he could peer over her shoulder at the guide book. "Mmm, our own private place…I like how you think. Let's leave Dalton at the hotel." Alec suggested quietly in her ear.

Sidda couldn't believe she was blushing. "Alec," she hissed. "We promised Gem to keep Dalton in our sights." She wasn't going to even talk about the suggestion behind that.

"You can't leave me at the hotel, you aren't going to lose me that way." Dalton said, looking at each of them suspiciously.

"We know," Sidda said, staring at Alec. She took a moment to give the taxi driver a charming smile; he was starting to look impatient.

Sidda pointed at the hotel at the top of the list. "The Gritti Palace is supposed to be one of the most famous, expensive hotels in Italy." She raised an eyebrow at Alec. "What do you think?"

Alec read the text over her shoulder. "Great for romantic couples…hmm, sounds perfect."

"Oh, you." Sidda said, moving away from him. She opened the back door of the taxi and pushed Dalton inside. "The Gritti Palace, please."

The taxi driver eyed Alec and Sidda doubtfully, as if he was positive they would not be able to afford the hotel. "It is very expensive," he tried to warn them.

"We've got it," Sidda sat back in the seat and did some mental calculations as the taxi pulled away from the curb. They did probably have enough to pay for one night; they'd stocked up in cash back in Philadelphia. But they would definitely have to get more.

She didn't spend all her time on calculations though. The view of Venice was just as beautiful as last time. Delicate modern glass structures interwove with marble and Old World buildings. When bringing their city up to modern times, the Venetians had crafted their city with the hands of artists. It was now one of the most beautiful cities in the world; its upper reaches glimmered in the sun and the buildings below were ripe for romance after sunset, when the lamps were lit and the musicians came out.

"I feel slightly inadequate," Sidda said after the taxi driver had dropped them off at the hotel. The way the taxi driver had looked at them and their lack of bags, he obviously had no confidence in them being able to get a room.

"As long as we pay, I'm sure they won't complain," Alec said.

"We only have enough money on that account Logan made for us to pay for one night." Sidda said. Logan had given them a credit card in their packet before they left but had told them not to use it yet. During the long phone conversation in Philadelphia he'd informed them that their temporary bank account was finally activated and holding a small amount of starter cash. It would be nice to use it now.

"We can pay night by night," Alec said to. "We'll tell them we're just roaming Europe and we're not sure how long we want to stay, so we can let them know at the beginning of each day.

"They might not like that," Sidda said. "And that's assuming they have rooms anyway."

"If they don't, we'll go to plan B—the house," Alec said. "But let's just wait and see. They'll probably have rooms since it is so expensive and not a huge tourist season, and I bet they'll be okay without an immediate payment method."

"I guess we'll find out."

"We're staying here?" Dalton's voice was awed. He'd never stayed anywhere really nice before. Sidda looked at him, wondering why Dalton sounded so impressed. The building was pretty, but not stunning from the outside. The owner of the hotel had tried to keep it looking like it had back when it was built.

Dalton was staring at the guidebook that Sidda had handed him. Oh, there were some stunning pictures of the rooms in there. Gorgeous antique beds and beautiful views. Sidda had to admit, it was going to be pretty amazing if they could get a room.

"We're not sure yet," Sidda answered Dalton. "But yes, we're hoping to at least stay a couple of nights here." She grinned and shoved Dalton lightly. "Just for kicks."

Dalton laughed, glad Sidda was being cheerful again. "'Cause staying in a luxury hotel is what normal people do for kicks."

"If you hadn't noticed," Alec said, "we're not exactly normal people."

-----------------------------------------

They walked through the old-fashioned, thick wooden doors of the hotel with their heads held high. Dalton's mouth fell open as he stared wide-eyed at the gorgeous lobby. Plush, rich velvet chairs that matched the ancient décor were spread around the room, interspersed with lounges and loveseats of the same thick materials. Posh and stylish tourists reclined back against pillows with golden tassels or sat in high-backed chairs that looked like they had been fashioned for royalty. Platters of fresh fruits were sitting out on antique, polished wood coffee tables and brightly-colored drinks were placed next to them as if everyone was expected to drink alcohol.

"Close your mouth," Alec hissed at Dalton, "Try to at least act like you belong here."

Dalton did what he was told and started to notice the suspicious glances that were being thrown their way from behind fans and gloved hands. People here dressed really weird, like they were out of some weird 1920s movie or something.

As the trio approached the beautifully-crafted reception desk, the two clerks in matching dark green jackets looked up, wearing hopeful expressions that quickly soured to disdain as they looked at the rumpled travelers. The female receptionist went back to taking down notes, leaving the dark-haired, squat man to deal with what she obviously thought as a few vagabonds who had somehow found their way into the hotel.

"Can I help you?" the little man asked, his knitted eyebrows saying that he would be happy to help them to the door.

Alec flashed him a debonair smile. "Yes, you may. My fiancé and I are looking to rent a room for the night, possibly for the next few nights." He grinned at Sidda and then looked back at the clerk knowingly. "We don't have reservations or anything. Spontaneous decision and everything."

Sidda grinned and playfully batted her eyelashes at the receptionist. "We borrowed my Daddy's jet!" A pale pink blush of shame colored her cheeks. "I hope he won't mine."

"Mine was having work done, or we would have taken it," Alec said to the receptionist with the unapologetic shrug of the elite.

Behind the desk, the man looked over at the woman who had glanced up from her notes. She peered at them through blue-tinted glasses that were sitting just below the bridge of her nose. "And what did you say your names were?"

"Oh, dear, oh, sorry," Sidda said, her hand flying to her mouth. She let out an endearing giggle and shook her head in embarrassment. "What a silly thing to let slip by."

"It's okay, lambkin," Alec said. He had to make a conscious effort not to wince when Sidda death-gripped his hand. She really didn't like the stupid nicknames. "It's not your fault for forgetting. They should've recognized us." He frowned at the two receptionists as if they had committed a serious social faux pas.

The male clerk had the decency to blush as he looked at the other receptionist, hoping she would know who they were. When she shook her head, he turned back to them, red-faced. "I beg your forgiveness, but we're not quite sure…"

Alec glared ferociously at them and sighed at Sidda. "This place gets worse every year," he said, "But if I must explain myself, I'm Lexington Byrestaff and this is my fiancé, Malorie Lewiston."

"Oh!" The woman receptionist's eyes grew wide, and she jumped to her feet. "You're Ms. Lewiston? Of the Lewiston family?"

Sidda nodded and smiled, all the while wanting to punch Alec in the gut. Who the hell were the Lewistons?

"But you're father never lets you go anywhere," the woman said, staring at Sidda like she was going to ask for her autograph. "And you're supposed to be dating Prince Edward!"

"Rumors just spread like wildfire, don't they," Sidda said simply. Wearing a bashful smile, she looked up at Alec as she stepped on his foot. The illegitimate British Prince Edward? Who exactly was she?

Alec pulled Sidda off of his foot by wrapping an arm around her waist and moving her to his other side. "We're trying to stay low-key this weekend, so if you don't mind, we'll just take a canal suite and no paparazzi." He looked at the two receptionists meaningfully and put down a wad of bills onto the counter as a down payment on his two requests. Luckily these upscale hotels were reluctant to let any photographers in the building or near the premises anyway.

"Of course," the woman receptionist said as she swept up the money, "We have just the room. And your serving boy will have his own room."

"He'll enjoy that," Sidda said, tossing a grin back at Dalton. The kid raised an eyebrow and then let out a muffled squawk as he realized he had been reduced to servitude. He did a good job of trying to look cheerful, but anyone could see the irritation in his eyes.

"We'll pay in cash when we come back from dinner," Alec said, smirking at the female receptionist. "One of my aunt's banks is nearby."

"Your aunt?" the male receptionist asked even as his fingers tapped across the keyboard, looking up a room for them.

"Rita MacKantire," Alec said, citing the name of one of the biggest bank owners in Europe. Yet again, Sidda was impressed by Alec's ability to lie on the spot and to come up with the stupidest lies ever. The male receptionist nodded passively as he continued typing. Dealing with the rich or soon-to-be rich was obviously a skill that had been written into his contract.

After a few moments, the arrangements had been made. The female receptionist smiled broadly at them as she handed over an old-fashioned key. "I'm sure you know, but just wave the key over the scanner by the door and it'll let you into your room." She smiled at the two of them. "We hope you enjoy however long of a stay you decide to take with us."

Acting as shy as any reclusive rich man's daughter in love, Sidda pressed her cheek against Alec's shoulder and smiled back at the woman. "Thank you so very much for being so understanding and discreet."

"It's not a problem at all," said the male receptionist, "We just want to accommodate you in whatever way possible."

Alec and Sidda smiled at them again before walking off, arms locked together like the sappy couple they were supposed to be. Alec snapped his fingers at Dalton and pointed toward their bags. "Ferdinand, don't be a dolt. Get the bags."

"Yes…sir," Dalton growled through his teeth as he picked up their bags and trailed after them as they headed toward the elevators.


	18. Chapter 18

Necessary Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thanks to Marcus Sylenus, nattylovesu, and 452max for reviewing the last chapter! Thanks so much, reviews give me a muse!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 18

"Syl!" Robin's face was pale with shock as she hurried to her friend's side. She and Seth had collected Taylor from the nursery and then headed up to Syl and Krit's room to find out how their mission had gone. They'd been hoping that the warehouse team would find something more definitive, but Robin hadn't been expecting to find anyone injured.

"It's not that bad." Syl pushed at the skin near the wound with grumpy impatience. Being injured bothered her; it hindered her ability to be an effective team member.

"Well, it doesn't look that great." Seth surveyed the room quickly. Krit looked slightly stressed, but seemed relatively ok. There were a few bloodied rags and a bucket of bloody water sitting about.

"It'd still be nice if you could take a look at the wound, Seth." Krit eyed Syl's thigh anxiously. Syl didn't get hurt very often, so it was rather disconcerting. He was used to her being in constant movement and charging ahead of him, so it had been strange to have to carry and help her back to the hotel. Not that he minded, but he was glad Seth was back now.

"You're such a worry wart," Syl said affectionately. She looked up at Seth. "Besides this damn leg, we also need to worry about being exposed. Just in case, we should probably get out of here."

Seth nodded. "I agree. Krit, can you pack your equipment up while I take a look at Syl?" Seth turned to look at Robin. "Would you mind getting our stuff from the room? The sooner we get out of here, the better I'll feel."

Manticore had trained them well in efficiency. Within an hour they had checked out of the hotel, and fifteen minutes later they were on their way to rent a van from a nearby car rental. They figured that since they were going to be focused on the mission, they might as well live out of the van for however long it took. When they weren't sleeping, the van would double nicely as a security, surveillance, and communications center for the rest of the mission. It'd be a little uncomfortable, but it was better than many of the discomforts they had faced in Manticore.

Robin waited with Syl outside the car rental office while Seth and Krit went to pick out the van.

"I'm going to be a liability now," Syl grumbled. It already irked her that it made more sense for her to sit and wait for the guys to pick her up then for her and Robin to just walk with them.

Robin was feeling a strange sense of déjà vu—Syl with a wound was very similar to Sidda. Neither could stand not being useful. And that memory reminded Robin of how she had made Sidda feel useful.

"Nonsense," Robin said briskly. "Someone has to watch the surveillance cameras when we go in; plus, Taylor will need someone to look after her. It's too risky for her to come into the building."

"I would've been more helpful inside," Syl said doubtfully.

Robin shrugged. "Any of us would be. But someone needs to be in the van."

Syl nodded. "Sadly, what're you're saying is very practical." She smiled sardonically. "Good thinking there, soldier."

"Ugh, say that again, and I'll revise my thinking."

Syl chuckled. "Anything to try and get rid of Manticore." She folded her arms over her chest and leaned back against the bench. "It's hard," she said softly. She glanced at Robin. "I've been out for a long time, and I still have trouble with it. But it is easier to distance yourself from Manticore as an adult; you tend to think more independently anyway. It just doesn't bother you as much because you choose when to tap into your training."

Robin touched Taylor's nose and ran her finger down the soft baby cheeks and over the smooth eyelids. "It was already easier for me to distance myself from Manticore after I had Taylor. She depends utterly on me, and she has nothing to do with Manticore training…and that helps. Having something so important in your life, something that is so separate from Manticore… it gives you a different perspective and focus."

Syl smiled down at Taylor. "I bet it does." She cooed at the baby for a moment. "I can't wait for Krit and I to have a kid of our own."

Robin looked at her, curious. "Why haven't you?"

"Well…" But just then the van pulled up, and they stopped talking about babies. As nice as it was to push Manticore away, right now their training would be useful. After they had accomplished the mission they'd been sent on they could talk about families and children again. Until then they needed to focus.

Apparently Seth and Krit had been talking over a few of the same things that Robin and Syl had.

"Hey, Syl, we were wondering…" Seth turned around in the passenger's seat, wanting to see Syl's reaction to his proposal.

"Yes?" Syl asked. She was leaning against the wall behind the two front seats. They'd specifically requested one with no back seats so that they'd have room to set up Krit's equipment.

"Would you mind being in the van when we enter the warehouse? You don't have to if you don't want to, but as a medic I think it'd be best for your wound."

Syl smiled. "Yeah, Robin and I already thought about that. I'm fine with it, Seth."

Seth glanced from Syl to Robin. "Good thinking, then."

"Hope you didn't think you were the only intelligent person around," Robin said, rolling her eyes at him.

Syl snickered. "He's a Manticore male. He doesn't think, he knows," she said, grinning at Robin.

"Hey, I didn't say that," Seth said, "And you can't generalize things like that."

"You can generalize when it's the truth, can't you?" Syl said. She drummed her fingers on the metal bottom of the van.

"But that's not true," Seth said. "So you just defeated your own logic."

"Not if you're going on Syl's idea of logic," Krit said. He revved up the engine of the van and tossed a lazy smile back at Syl. The fact that she was on the mend was enough to make him happy even in the face of a dangerous mission. "She runs on a different brainwave than the rest of us."

"Proudly, too," Syl said, "Makes life interesting."

"As if it wasn't already," Robin said. She held Taylor's baby carrier close to her side as Krit pulled away from the rental agency and headed out into traffic. "How much did the van cost?"

"We'll be good if we can get tickets back to the States," Krit replied.

Seth sighed and looked down at the rental papers in his hands. "It's not that bad, but we're going to have to be frugal for the rest of the trip."

"There goes the Hilton," Syl said, wrapping her arms around one knee, her injured leg stretched out.

"We'll need blankets and things for in here," Robin said, "If we're planning to sleep in here and everything." She looked up at Seth, wondering if this change of accommodation was going to bother him. Sharing the back of the van with Syl and Krit was going to be a lot different than having their own room.

"We'll stop and pick some up at a store," Seth said. He tossed a wry smile back at Robin. "You can pick them out."

Robin grinned back at him. "I'll buy some good, cheap ones."

"And while you're doing that, I'm going to get in touch with the Cyborg," Krit said.

"You shouldn't call Logan that," Robin reprimanded, "Max wouldn't like it, and besides, he's not really a cyborg."

"No, that's Zack," Syl muttered, her voice bitter for once. Robin glanced at her, guessing she was talking about her brother, Manticore-CO-gone-farm-boy. Robin had heard a few stories about him while she was in T.C., but she hadn't wanted to breach the topic with Max.

"Anyways," Krit said, giving Syl a meaningful look through the rearview mirror, "If Logan and me work together, we should be able to get some schematics on the military building and make sure Sandy's there."

"That's the important part," Seth said with an affirmative nod, "We don't want to waste ourselves on breaking into that building if Sandeman's wife isn't there. It'd be useless."

"So, intelligence about Sandeman's wife is at the top of the need-to-know list?" Krit asked.

"Yeah, and the schematics, like you said, and security details, info on the soldiers, weaknesses," Seth said, his mind already working on how he would use each piece of information. "I'd like to hit the building in a day or two. We'll wait until they've forgotten about the crazy reporter and her camera-man."

"Faithful, loyal, responsible camera-man, thanks," Krit said.

"Oh, shut up," Syl said, wishing she had something to throw at him, "You didn't put up much of a fight about going there."

"I tried, but did you pay me any attention?"

Robin laughed as the two of them started bickering, and Seth looked back at her, the wistful expression on his face telling her that he wouldn't have minded a couple more days at the hotel, pretending they were simply tourists. And to tell the truth, she wouldn't have either.

----------------------------------

"This is just ridiculous," Sidda breathed as she cuddled one of the pillows of the delicate cherry wood loveseat to her chest. She pressed her face into the pillow to hide the huge grin on her face.

The suite they had gotten was lavishly beautiful, like they had walked into Sleep Beauty or Cinderella's castle. The decorations were rich and plentiful: gold filigree work, polished real wood tables, million dollar mirrors, crystal candelabras, fresh flowers on every flat surface, and little handmade clocks that Alec was probably going to walk off with. She hadn't made it past the sitting room, but from the way the Dalton kept streaming appreciative profanities and the total of black market prices that Alec was keeping, she could tell that the other rooms were just as magnificent.

Alec walked back into the light green and gold based room where Sidda was curled up on a loveseat. He grinned and leaned against the doorway. "All right, you can't complain about this."

"I could always complain about the bill," she said, lowering the pillow and avoiding his eyes by looking around the room. "The astronomical, incredibly ludicrous bill."

"The one that we're not going to pay?" Alec said.

"Yeah, that one," Sidda said, smirking at him.

They went "sightseeing" after dark. They'd left the question of room assignments unsettled; Sidda privately thought that Dalton and Alec should share one room while she got the master bedroom, but she had a feeling Alec wasn't going to easily agree to that.

"So what are we looking for?" Dalton asked.

"We're looking, you're keeping quiet and watching for any tails." Alec said, turning to grin at the kid. He had a hold of a reluctant Sidda's hand; he insisted that it was necessary to keep up appearances. Sidda thought it was just an excuse, but she wasn't really going to complain. Holding hands with Alec felt…nice, like she was almost normal.

Sidda felt momentarily sorry for Dalton and then quickly rationalized the feeling. Dalton needed to learn that he couldn't just tag along on a mission and get to do a bunch of fun stuff like he seemed to think they were going to do. Besides, making him learn patience was character-building.

Dalton narrowed his eyes at Alec but didn't complain. At least watching for tails was a valid job. And in the meantime, he'd try to keep an eye out for anything else that might be useful to them. They still hadn't told him what the mission was about, he had ideas, yes, but maybe he'd figure something out from wherever they went.

Sidda and Alec weren't actually searching for their mission target at the moment. What they needed to do was find a house to move to after a night at the hotel; otherwise, they'd have to pay the outrageous bill and their cover might be blown.

"I still think it should be a romantic vacation house," Alec said. "It fits best with our cover."

Sidda looked at him and then removed her hand from his. He didn't need any encouragement. "Seriously? 'Cause Dalton really helps with that image…"

Alec chuckled. "I can't help it that he came along."

"Romantic?" Dalton asked from behind them. "What are we looking for that's romantic?" He moved around so that he was next to Sidda. "What are we doing?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, unless you'd like to foot the bill for the hotel, we're looking for a place we can actually stay in for a few days. Maybe a house whose owners have left for a couple weeks," Sidda said.

"That's all?" Dalton was crestfallen.

"Yep, sorry to disappoint." Alec shrugged, obviously not very apologetic.

Dalton made a face and fell back behind them again. He didn't really feel like listening to Alec try to convince Sidda into something romantic. He moved closer to the water, looking for any gondolas out there.

"Get too close and I may be unable to resist temptation—I might just have to push you in," Sidda called back. She was telling the truth; it would be way too amusing to pass over. She thought it only fair that she warn Dalton.

"Yeah sure, like I'm afraid of you," Dalton yelled back. But he subtly moved away from the edge.

Sidda laughed; she had noticed his movement. They continued walking along, eyeing the vacation homes that ran along the canal. Unfortunately, most of them were inhabited.

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us," Alec said.

Sidda shook her head. "Oh yeah, because finding an empty house…sooo difficult."

"A lot harder than finding, tracking, and kidnapping an ex-Manticore geneticist," Alec replied. "That's everyday, easy stuff." He smirked at Sidda. "Manticore never gave me any training on house hunting."

"Somehow I think we'll manage," Sidda said dryly.

Dalton suddenly appeared between the two of them and stared up at Alec. "We're grabbing an ex-Manticore geneticist?" he asked, "Dude, that is so cool! I knew that's what we were doing."

"You did not," Sidda said. She frowned over at Alec, blaming him for letting Dalton in on the mission objective. Alec avoided her gaze by becoming very interested in one of the nearby houses.

"Yes, I did," Dalton replied, "You talked about it that night at dinner. I remembered, I just wasn't sure, but now I am." He grinned at her. "So, do we get to beat him up? When are we going to get him?"

Sidda gave his head a gentle shove. "I think you're missing something here, Dalton. We're going to find the bad guy." She motioned to herself and waved a flippant hand at Alec.

"You're going to be a lookout and the coffee-boy," Alec said. He clapped Dalton on the shoulder, almost toppling the teenager. "I like it black with two sugar cubes."

"I'm a French vanilla cappuccino kind of girl," Sidda said.

"That's weird," Alec said, glancing at her, "I had you pinned as a straight espresso."

"Almost, but I like a little sweet with the bitter," Sidda replied.

"Aren't you going to let me do anything?!" Dalton demanded, interrupting them. He stopped and stared at the two of them, eyes narrowed in anger. "I mean, come on, that's not fair."

"Life sucks," Alec said, shrugging. "Get used to it."

Dalton aimed a furious glare at him before pushing past the two X5s, stalking down the path and into the night shadows.

"Someone's going to mug him," Sidda said with a sigh, "Venice mafia members aren't the friendliest."

"Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. They mostly stay in their turfs, and this is no man's land," Alec said. When Sidda flicked an incredulous look up at him, he frowned back. "Hey, I read the dossier too."

"I know," Sidda said, a quick grin darting across her face, "I'm just surprised you actually read all of it." She looked out across the canal beside them, into the warmly lit houses that lined the opposite banks. All occupied.

Alec rolled his eyes. "I was a top Manticore assassin. I've read through lots of things I didn't want to."

"Ah, so that was your job?" Sidda asked, her interest peaking. She stepped over a couple of broken cobblestones. "You were an assassin?"

Alec's face grew hard, and Sidda regretted asking. "You don't have to-"

"No, it's okay," he said, but Sidda could tell by the way he was clenching his jaw that it wasn't. "I did a few solo missions before I botched one, and they put me back on teams for a while."

"Did you like teams better?" Sidda asked. She was curious about the "botched" mission, but she wasn't going to pry while his eyes looked that dark.

"Huh, I wouldn't say they were a bucket of sunshine or whatever," Alec said, "But I guess I made a couple friends, and the missions got me out in the world. That's all I cared about back then."

"What? Being out in the world?" Sidda glanced at Alec as they passed under a street lamp. The warm yellow glow cast patches of light across his face. Not a lot of Manticore personnel thought about wanting to be on the outside after the 09ers left. She hadn't even thought of it until she had gone on her last mission.

"Yeah," Alec said, "Whatever they said in there, things were better out here. I guess I always wanted to be on my own, even when I was a brainwashed zombie kid." He smirked at her, but there was truth in what he said. He stopped and leaned back against the lamp post. "So what'd you do? Cute people to death?"

"Actually, yeah," she replied, smiling back. When he arched an eyebrow at her, she laughed. "I had a…eccentric job." She put her hand one the lamp post he was leaning against and swung around. "They sent me places where they didn't think they could get other people back out of."

"They sent you on suicide missions?" Alec asked as she almost swung into him.

Sidda was surprised by the anger in his voice, but she shook her head. "Nah, they knew I'd probably get out. Everyone at Manticore has a specific purpose. I'm wired to get out of things. It's weird, but it's me, I guess." She switched hands and swung around the pole again, grinning as the momentum spun her. Alec caught her arm before she could do it again.

"What can't you get out of?" he asked, curious.

Sidda lowered her eyes and stepped forward, her free hand pressed against his chest. She could feel his heart beating beneath her splayed fingers, a steady, warm thrumming. He leaned down to meet her, but when his face was inches from hers, she wrenched her arm free and sprang backwards, laughing.

"I really don't know yet," she said, grinning at him. She waved her hand toward the darkness in front of them. "Come on, we still have to find Dalton and the house."

"I think that's going to be my new mission," Alec said as he pushed away from the lamp post.

"Finding a house was already the mission," Sidda said, "I guess you could add Dalton to the mix if you wanted, but like you said, he's not in that much danger."

"That's not what I meant," Alec said, glancing over at her, "And I think you know it."

"No, I don't," Sidda said innocently, "I still don't know what you're talking about."

"I like pushing the limits," Alec said, "And I think I'll push yours."

Sidda stopped walking and looked at him, her hazel eyes locking with his. "I might push back."

Alec smirked. "Do it. I'd like that."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to DancerInTheDark101, shywr1ter, nattylovesu, 452max, sango, Alexa and Sandra for the lovely reviews! You have no idea how much they are appreciated and how much they spark my muse! :-)

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 19

"How much stuff are they going to buy?" Robin asked. She and Seth were sitting on the patio of a bistro café on the corner of a Cape Town street. Taylor was sleeping in her baby seat in a chair between the two of them, a thin blanket thrown over her to keep her out of the sun.

Seth sighed and poked the salt shaker in the middle of the wrought iron table. "Who knows? I gave Krit most of the money we collected from selling off that car we stole last night."

That had been an adventure. With Cape Town's advanced technology in mind, they had had to be very careful in selecting a vehicle to steal that would still bring them some income. Krit had spent the day finding a buyer while Syl babysat Taylor; Seth and Robin found the car, an older model Mustang that didn't have an alarm. It was a 1980s antique, and haggling with the parts dealer had gotten them enough money for whatever Krit needed surveillance wise.

"Watch Syl convince him to buy that new game system she's always talking about," Robin said, shaking her head. "That'd be really useful right now."

"I don't think they'd be that frivolous," Seth said, "Hopefully."

"They won't be," Robin said, "I'm just…bored." She picked up a fat, bright strawberry from the platter of fruit Seth had bought for their lunch. They had picked up a couple sandwiches and then two more for Syl and Krit for whenever they came back. They were down the street right now, bartering with some guy in an electronics shop while pretending to be Canadians or something.

Seth smiled at her. "You aren't enjoying a beautiful day in Cape Town?"

"No, that's not it, I like it here," Robin said. She actually liked it a lot here. It was gorgeous, blossoming with life, and the sun shone every day, or so it seemed. It was nothing like dirty, cloudy Seattle with its transgenic-hating citizens who shoot her as soon as look at her if they knew what she really was. She ate another strawberry. "I just don't like waiting."

"There's no way around that," Seth said. "It wouldn't do us any good to bust in there, guns drawn, and not know what we're getting into."

"I know, I know," Robin laughed. "I'm just so used to always going right in. I wasn't usually there for the preliminaries of a mission."

"Why not?" Seth asked. Usually a team went in together and came out together, if they could.

"Well, normally I was on guard duty." Robin played with one of the smaller strawberries, "I was basically a professional body guard. If a team found out that they had a prisoner or someone who was going to be tough to get out, they'd send for me. They knew I would protect the target with my life and would do everything humanely possibly to make sure they got out safely."

"They couldn't know that for sure," Seth said. He grinned at her. "We're not infallible, even though Manticore liked to pretend we were."

"Yeah, but Manticore had a better bet with me than the others. They built some sort of need-to-protect complex into me. I can get very protective on a mission, and if I fail…" Robin looked away and her nails dug into the strawberry a bit. "It doesn't feel good," she whispered.

Seth stared at her hunched shoulders for a moment. Robin looked up and her eyes widened at the hard planes his face had become, and the way his eyes had gone cold.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking around. She half-expected to see a panicked Syl or Krit.

"Nothing. Everything." Seth took a deliberate sigh, and his face relaxed somewhat. "The things Manticore made us do…sometimes it really angers me. And how idiotically brainwashed we were." Seth gave a slightly bitter laugh, something Robin had never heard from him before. "I was so proud, I was such a good soldier, doing everything they told me to. Now I feel like I was one of the weakest of us, not strong enough to stand up to Manticore or to want to."

Robin moved her chair so that it was right next to his and then curled into Seth's arm. He reflexively pulled her closer.

"Manticore messed us all up." She looked up at Seth. "None of us thought to rebel after the '09ers. It would've been stupid, and we would have lost any semblance of independent thought that we had after that. The best way to earn independence was to be a good soldier."

"Well, I didn't even think about that though."

Robin grinned up at him. "Your subconscious did." She brushed her hand once through Seth's hair. "You're too good of a man; you wanted to please everyone." She tugged on the tips of his hair playfully. "I bet you always avoided killing, didn't you?"

"I usually tried to justify it," Seth admitted. He pulled Robin's hand away from his hair and caressed it a moment. "If I couldn't, well… that didn't happen very often. Those were harder." He frowned at her, "Hey, how did this get to be about me? We were talking about you and the bastards at Manticore."

"I'm very adept at changing the conversation," Robin said with a smirk. She moved away from him to grab another piece of fruit. "And yes, they were bastards, but I prefer not think about them now rather than dwell on how much I hate them. I'm used to being me, so it doesn't really bother me."

"Well, it bothers me," Seth said darkly, "All I needed to know was that your deepest desire is to protect anyone near you who's getting shot at."

"You're welcome."

"I'd rather not be."

"Hey." Robin sat up. "They're coming. And Krit looks happy, so I'm guessing he got what he wanted."

"We can hope so," Seth said.

Syl and Krit walked up to the little bistro, heading up the concrete steps and toward the corner where Seth and Robin were sitting. Seth had chosen this particular corner because it was strategic; from the vantage point, they could see in almost all directions yet their backs were protected by the building.

Krit pulled out a chair Taylor's baby seat was in and picked the whole thing up. He sat down in the chair and put the baby seat in his lap, acting as if he did this all the time. Syl took the chair beside Robin and began to pick at the strawberries and blueberries on the plate of fruit.

"Did you get what we need?" Seth asked, trying to hide the grin that was on his face. It was funny to see Krit holding the baby seat like that, as if he had somehow become Taylor's godfather over the course of the trip.

Krit smirked back at him, obviously smug. "Yeah, we got it. Some of it isn't worth shit, but I can make it work."

"He's good with paper clips and bubble gum," Syl said as she popped a third strawberry into his mouth.

Krit glanced at Syl. "That's not all I'm good with."

"Oh, Krit, don't," Robin said though a half-grin came to her face. Dirty jokes had always been strictly out of bounds at Manticore, but a few cleverly disguised ones had slipped by the higher ups. And it had taken them a while to figure out why everyone kept saying "gun" in that suggestive way…from then on they had to refer to everything as firearms, which hadn't been much better.

"Don't be disgusting when you're holding the baby," Syl said, making a face at him.

"I'm not being disgusting, I'm being suggestive. She doesn't understand."

"I don't care," Seth said, glancing at the X5 escapee, "I'd rather you not be "suggestive" around the baby."

"Sorry, Dad," Krit said. He rolled his eyes and peeked under the blanket to look at Taylor. "She's sleeping."

"Yeah, but she'll probably pick up on it in her sleep," Syl said. She waggled a strawberry at him. "Then Seth and Robin will blame you for ruining their child."

Krit glared at Syl but decided not to respond. Sometimes it was just best to lay low and let the enemy exhaust themselves, especially when it was a three to one battle.

"How long do you think it'll take you to get everything set up?" Seth asked as Krit grabbed an orange.

"I don't know, man, some of this stuff is pretty busted," Krit said, "I was working on a budget."

Seth was not deterred. "Could you be ready tonight?"

Krit stopped peeling the orange and stared at Seth. "You're kidding, right? You can't expect me to set up thousands of dollars worth of equipment, half of it busted, in just an afternoon. No, not even that much. You're giving me part of an afternoon."

"I thought you were the technology guru," Robin said, smirking at him.

Krit held up his hands, balancing the baby seat in his lap. "Yeah, guru, not a miracle worker."

"When's the soonest you can get it running, then?" Seth asked, "Are you sure it can't be tonight?"

"I'll see what I can do, Seth, but I can't promise anything," Krit said.

"Are we sure that Sandy's there?" Syl asked, glancing from Seth to Krit and back. "I mean, Logan said last night that she was, but…"

"Logan said there was a woman registered in the system that might be Sandy," Seth said, looking at Syl. "Caucasian, in her sixties, no military clearance beside in the science labs and then it's the highest level they have."

"Which is, haha, Red," Robin said. She rolled her eyes. They thought they were so clever…yeah right.

"But that could be anyone," Syl said, "That could be a janitor that cleans the science labs."

"Highly doubtful," Seth said, "It's more likely that she has the clearance because she has legitimate reasons for going into those areas."

"I think cleaning up is pretty legit," Syl said. She picked up a slice of kiwi and popped it into her mouth.

"She also just got housing there a couple weeks ago," Robin said as she put down her glass of ice water. "Right around the time her husband showed up in Seattle."

"And was promptly murdered," Syl said, "After which we came to South Africa, yadayada, blah blah."

"Exactly," Seth said, smiling at her, "Which means we should move as if we know this is her for certain." He looked back at Krit. "Are you certain you can't get something running?"

"Dude, I'll try, but I can't promise anything," Krit said, shaking his head.

"Maybe if they'd have given you more beaver," Syl said, cocking her head to the side. "Of course, I don't really like buck teeth, but if it'd make you more useful…"

Krit glared at Syl, and Robin laughed. "I'll help you, Krit," she said, "I used to work with technology every now and then back when we had to know such things."

"Okay," Krit said, "But it's not going to be fun."

"I like challenges," Robin said with a smile. "Besides, while we're setting up, Seth and Syl and get the low down on Sandy's location from Logan."

"Gotta love long distance mission planning," Syl said. She picked up a napkin and swiped it across her mouth.

"Yeah…not so much," Robin said, smirking at Seth. He gave a long-suffering sigh before nodding, glancing toward her for a moment.

"Let's get to it."

-------------------------------

There had been a good, long fight over sleeping arrangements at the hotel the first night the Italian Team stayed in Venice. At first, Dalton, who had eventually come back from sulking, had been banished to the servant bedroom where he had grumbled about how mistreated he was. It seemed that Manticore kids became very possessive of their autonomy once they got out of their enforced military service.

After Dalton had been dealt with, Sidda made a play for the master bedroom, slipping past Alec while he was lecturing Dalton on the fine points of being a worthless go-fer grunt. By the time Alec had realized where she was going, she had already locked the door and shoved a dresser in front of it. Alec had been left standing outside the engraved door with Dalton, who found the entire situation hilarious.

While Dalton was ordered back to his room, Alec found out that he was missing his bag; he had put it in the master bedroom earlier, assuming that was where he was sleeping. After quite a long bit of coaxing and begging and saying how much it seemed like she wanted him to sleep naked, Alec got Sidda to open the door. She had attempted to chunk his pajamas at his head, but he had caught them and barged in, determined to tell her his view of how the sleeping arrangements would work out.

When Sidda found out that his game plan was for both of them to share the master bed, platonically of course, she had utilized the silk pillows and launched them at Alec, aiming for the gut and the head although only one of the shots, a fast pitch to the head, made contact. While Alec was fending off pillow missiles, Sidda made it very clear that her intentions for the master bedroom were that it be used by one person, and that person would be her since she was the only female on the trip and there were two beds in Dalton's little room, exactly equaling the numbers of male members on the team. Alec, perturbed that Sidda didn't want to share the massive bed even after he promised to make a pillow barricade between the two of them, demanded that he, as the tallest of them all, deserved to sleep in the master bedroom. And she could stay with him, if she wanted to, since she wouldn't take up all that much space anyway.

A verbal sparring match ensued in which both parties hurled numerous threats and insults at each other, deprecating various body parts and abilities that the other thought they possessed in excellence and abundance. In exasperation, Sidda finally declared that she would take the comforter from the bed and sleep on the couch in the sitting room. The turnover caught Alec off guard, but, suspicious as always, he continued to lay claim on the master bedroom.

After Sidda grabbed her pajamas, snatched the comforter from the bed and double-timed it into the sitting room, Alec decided he wanted to sleep on the couch. He accused Sidda of being self-sacrificing to make him feel bad, a dirty trick on her part. Sidda retorted that he just wanted to sleep on the couch because she had decided to, but Alec insisted that he had come up with this whole plan on his own, and he really wanted to take the couch while Sidda took the bedroom.

The second round of embattled bickering roared out of the two of them. In an interesting half-time event, Dalton made an appearance to say that if they couldn't come to a decision over who had the master bedroom, he would be glad to take it off their hands. A foul was called, and Dalton was ordered back to his small bedroom to sleep of his grumpiness.

In the end, Sidda won the uncomfortable sitting room couch, and Alec was banished to the massive, lonely master bed. However, the next morning, Sidda woke up in the master bed, still curled up in the comforter, while Alec slept on the chaise lounge at the foot of the bed in a small, cattish ball. Neither of them mentioned the final sleeping arrangements to each other, and they were both out of the master bedroom before Dalton woke up demanding sugar cereals and milk in order to make it through the morning in a coherent manner.

They checked out of the hotel, charging the price to Alec's "aunt's" bank thanks to Logan's Internet hacking. The previous night, they had located an international cell phone at a dealership after finding a house to live in for the remainder of the mission. It was a nice little townhouse on a row of vacation houses that were rented out by the week, so no one would notice them coming or going. According to Logan's hasty research, the place they had found hadn't been rented out that summer, and the owners lived in Portugal and never came to visit. To the neighbors, it would seem like they were just another family visiting for a little while before going home.

------------------------------

They had stayed a week in the vacation house so far and were having trouble finding leads. They'd gone to a few outdoor concerts, several restaurants and toured almost every single museum in walking distance. So far, they hadn't heard a whisper of rumor. If something didn't turn up soon about this guy, they were going to have to lean on Logan more.

"I thought missions were supposed to be fun and exciting," Dalton grumbled. He was lounged on the living room couch, idly flipping through a book Sidda had lent him.

"Well, now you know better." Sidda didn't even look up from her own book; she'd found a book called Metamorphoses in a second-hand book shop down the street. It was written a long time ago, but Sidda found the tales fascinating. So far, Dalton didn't seem to appreciate much Sidda's taste for the classics. She'd told him that he could go pick out his own books, but he didn't seem very interested in that either.

"At least when Alec's here we get to watch TV," Dalton said, propping his chin on his hands.

"Yes, and slowly turn into uneducated vegetables. How fun." She finally got to the end of a paragraph and looked up from her book. "Look Dalton, I'm not keeping you prisoner. If you want to go do something, do it."

Dalton stood up and started pacing, "I want to do something but not vacation stuff." He gave Sidda a pleading look. "Please, let me something to do that matters."

"If I had something for you, I wouldn't be here myself," Sidda said. She glanced at the clock on the wall; Alec had left a few hours ago with vague mutterings about something to do. She was half-hopeful that he'd found a lead, but she hadn't wanted to ask. Better not to be disappointed when he got back.

"Honeykins, I'm hooooome." Sidda rolled her eyes as Dalton bounded up like a puppy dog.

"Alec, tell me you've come to save me from the Hunchback of Notre Dame!"

"It's good for you," Sidda said, scowling at him.

"Better listen to mamma." Alec winked at Sidda, and only the fact that the book was in poor condition kept Sidda from throwing Metamorphoses at him. "I've got a surprise," he said, holding up two bulging garment bags.

"Are there bodies in there?" Dalton asked with disturbing eagerness. That kid wasn't joking, he really did need to see some action. Sidda made a mental note to take him to a gym or something tomorrow. Anything to help him burn off that insane amount of energy.

"Sorry to disappoint, but they're just clothes." He handed one to Sidda. "That one's for you."

"What is it for?" Sidda asked suspiciously.

"A ball." Alec's whole face lit up with a massive grin.

Sidda looked at him, wondering if she'd heard correctly. "A…ball?" What the heck did he mean by that? He couldn't seriously mean the old-fashioned dancing sort of ball. Could he?

"You know, a ball. Only a masquerade one. I got us costumes."

"I obviously missed out on something here," Sidda said. "Why are we going to a ball?"

"And how come I don't get a costume?" Dalton said. He flopped onto the couch and gave Alec an accusing stare.

"'Cause it's for grown-ups, small fry," Alec retorted.

"Hey!"

Alec ignored Dalton and looked at Sidda. "I just decided. It seemed like something you would like, and from everything the old shop lady said, it's what all the fashionable people around here do. Maybe there will be some genetic research sponsors there or something." He shrugged. "It can't hurt to go."

Sidda tried to decide if there might be another motive that Alec was hiding. But if there was, he was doing a good job of covering it up. And Sidda had to admit, the idea of going to a masquerade ball in Italy sounded amazing.

"Well, it all depends," Sidda said, unzipping the garment bag.

"On what?" both Alec and Dalton asked.

"Well, on what the costumes are of course. I can't go in something ridiculous. And it better be clever. It's no fun if your disguise isn't something clever."

"Have you ever been to one of these before?" Alec asked, amused at her requirements.

"No, but I've read about them."

"Apparently you can learn everything from reading," Dalton said, glaring at Sidda.

"You can," Sidda said with a shrug. The garment bag spilled open to reveal pools of black leather and lacing, along with some large pieces of weaponry and armor sitting at the bottom of the bag.

"Um?"

"Athena." Alec sat down next to Sidda and leaned back with a smirk. He obviously thought his choice of costume was clever. "Greek goddess of war. I'm sure you can see the irony there on several levels."

"Hmm. And I suppose you're going to be Ares?"

Alec looked disappointed. "How'd you guess?"

"Well, if either of you two would read books, the choice would be obvious."

"I read enough," Alec protested. "I knew what I was looking for."

"I bet the old shop lady helped you out." Sidda chuckled as she pulled out all the costume pieces and laid them out. Oh boy, it looked like Alec had definitely had 'sexy' on his mind when he was getting the costume.

"Only a bit." Alec came up behind Sidda and caressed her waist lightly. "Between you and me, I bet we'll be able to get anyone we want to in the room talking."

Sidda adroitly twisted and slipped out of Alec's hands. "I suppose you're barely wearing anything then?"

"Basically just pants." Alec sat on the arm of the couch. "Shop lady insisted. She said my muscles were too nice to hide away."

Sidda rolled her eyes. "If only she knew that she was adding to your conceit."

"She said I was nicest young man she's seen in a long time," Alec said, grinning. "From a good Venetian family."

"I guess your Italian's better than I thought," Sidda said, thumping him on the head before she started to investigate the clothing. Alec grinned at her, knowing by the slight quirk in the left corner of her lips that he had made a good choice both for her and himself.

"Why can't I come?" Dalton said. "It's a masquerade, right?"

"Yeah, but—" Alec started, but Dalton cut him off, standing up and taking on a defensive stance.

"But what? I could be in costume, no one would be able to tell I'm a kid," he said, "Hell, I'll even go as Death so I can wear a full cloak, okay?" He flung his arms out and stared at both of them, trying to figure out who would be more sympathetic to his plight. "I just want to do something useful!"

"You'd be the shortest Death ever. And they'd still be able to tell you were a kid," Alec said, shrugging.

"No, they wouldn't! " Dalton retorted, "You just want to take Sidda and go by yourselves because you're trying to seduce her or something!" He glared accusingly at Alec. "That's wrong."

"Hey, look, Sidda," Alec said, glancing over at the young woman who was riffling through the black leather cloth. "Since you made him start reading, he can use words like 'seduce.'"

Dalton scowled at Alec, arms crossed over his chest, while Sidda rolled her eyes.

"Alec, stop it," she said before turning to Dalton. She put her hands on her hips, and Dalton recognized the no-nonsense stance that all X5 females seemed to share. "Dalton, if you think you're completely competent and able to take Alec's place, please, feel free to take his costume for yourself."

"Really?" Dalton asked, watching her cautiously.

"Hey, no, I don't like that plan," Alec said, flicking his eyes toward Sidda.

"Yeah, Dalton, you can come," Sidda said, "You just have to fight Alec first." She nodded to the tall, muscular Alpha male X5.

"Huh?" Dalton said. He took an involuntary step back as the X5 stood up, grinning and rubbing his knuckles.

"See, I knew I gave her the Athena costume for a reason," Alec said.

"Yeah, and wait til you see what I do in this outfit," Sidda said, smirking over at him.

Alec looked at her and the way she was standing, her hip jutted out to the side, a dangerous grin on her face. Turning back toward Dalton, he raised his fists, determination on his face. "Hope you don't think you're going to win."

After hesitating for a moment, Dalton lifted his fists. "Can't be too hard," he said, grabbing at bravado, "Max beat you."

In three moves, Alec had Dalton on the floor, his arms behind his back and one leg twisted awkwardly to the side. Alec patted Dalton's head, effectively bouncing it against the soft rug. "Yeah, but I let Max win." He stood up and glanced over at Sidda, the look in his eyes leaving no room for discussion. "We're going to that ball."

"Okay," she said, for once unable to point-blank refuse him. She covered the blush on her cheeks by grabbing her costume and excusing herself to run up the stairs to her room beside the library.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thank you nattylovesu, DancerInTheDark101, 452max! Your reviews are highly appreciated!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 20

"You stole a bunch of laundry?" Robin tried to control the laughter bubbling up inside of her as she eyed the dirty lab coat and slacks.

Seth shrugged, trying not to look hurt. "It matched what they wore back in Manticore. I saw an opportunity and took it."

"I'm sure it could be helpful," Robin said, trying to assuage his hurt feelings. "If we run into some of the minor people who work there, maybe they won't look too closely."

"And Logan and I can probably set us up with fake IDs to offset that," Krit said, "It won't hold up under close scrutiny, but we could probably get through some of the outer levels of security."

"It's sad to think that getting in is actually going to be the easy part," Robin said. She rested her chin on her hands as she eyed the couple viewing screens Krit had already set up. The plan was to enter the warehouse from a tunnel system that connected to another nearby building. There were soldiers down there, but dealing with one of them at a time was manageable.

"Don't worry; I'll be at the cameras," Syl said, "I'll talk you guys through the whole mission."

"I won't worry, unless we get ambushed by super soldiers," Robin said. "I've heard those guys can be nasty."

"Definitely," Syl said without hesitation. "But Krit's going to set up a loop for me to feed through the cameras, so even if you guys have to deal with one or two, the others shouldn't be alerted immediately. The key thing to remember is to not get separated. You can't deal with these guys one on one, okay?"

"We know," Seth said with a smile. He picked Taylor up and cradled her as he leaned back against the wall of the van. It had been several long days since they had gotten the van…he was ready to get the mission over with and get out. He really hoped they found Sandeman's wife when they went in in a few hours.

"We'll still want to wear street clothes too," Krit said, eyeing his own stolen laundry, "Most scientists don't walk around looking and smelling as if they were just hanging out in a sewer."

"Well, most people don't take a bath while they're in the sewers," Seth muttered. He was feeling like his attempts at a disguise were unappreciated. Robin smiled and stroked his arm a couple times.

"They'll come in handy," she said. She peeked over Seth's arm and eyed her daughter. She was fairly sure that she could time it just right so that Taylor would be well-fed and sleeping while she was gone; she didn't want Syl to have to worry about the baby at a crucial moment. She just hoped everything went smoothly…it felt like so much could easily go wrong.

"So what are we waiting on anyway?" Syl asked, moving back to Krit's side.

"Mics," Krit said, fiddling with one. He glanced up at the TVs; three monitors were now showing more than blue fuzz. "We're also waiting for the fourth TV and the last computer monitor to boot and connect properly. Then there's a shift change, and that's when we'll go in. Hopefully all this stuff is up and running by then."

"I'm sure it will be," Syl said. She had full confidence in him; he'd never failed before. Still, she was usually nicer to him when he was in the final stages of setting up all the technical equipment. She figured that it was better to not abuse him when he needed to concentrate.

She flopped down on the other side of Seth and nudged Taylor out of his grasp. "I'm looking out for the baby tonight, might as well let her get used to me," she said as an excuse. Taylor seemed to have a remarkable ability to make everyone around her adore her.

--------------------------------------

They spent the next couple of hours slowly getting ready. Ammunition was loaded in the guns they had bought, blades were sharpened to an almost invisible edge, extra ammunition was stored in jean pockets, and mics were finally attached and tested.

"Want me to go over the controls with you one more time?" Krit asked Syl anxiously. The equipment might have used, but once he made a system out of it he sort of became attached.

"Krit, I've got it. I've done this with you before." Syl said, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Sorry," Krit muttered, "I'm just ready to go." He leaned over her shoulder to peer at the monitors.

"Krit, I swear I'll…" she swung around to hit him, but Krit had already jumped out of reach.

"Got it, got it." He held his hands up. "I'll go sit over here and not say anything, promise."

"You do that," Syl said, spinning back around toward the controls. Her fingers rushed over the keyboards and brought up the schematics for the building and got the mikes online. Krit turned to the second set of electronics and turned on the feeding loops.

"Everyone check firearms," Seth said, his voice serious, as if he were back on a Manticore-assigned mission. Obediently, Robin and Krit started checking the weaponry they had. There hadn't been much extra money for weapons after Krit had bought everything he had needed, but they had managed to scrape together a few handguns and some minor weaponry like smoke bombs and knives. Seth even had a flash grenade, just in case they needed it.

Seth looked at Robin as she finished locking down the straps on the two handguns that rested on either side of her waist. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she replied, looking him straight in the eyes. This was what she had been created and born to do: even out of Manticore, she was a soldier. It was something that none of them could escape.

Seth nodded before looking over to Krit. The towering, dark-skinned transgenic smirked.

"Hey, I may not have as much formal training as you two, but I've done my fair share," he said. He tossed at grin at Syl who didn't look back, but a half-smirk dashed across her face. Robin would love to find out exactly what kind of trouble those two had gotten into before they found their way to Terminal City.

"It should take us about twenty minutes to drive there. I want to start at 0000," Seth said. He glanced toward Krit.

"That's when the next shift change is," Krit replied, "They'll be taken off guard."

"Was that supposed to be a pun?" Syl asked, one pale eyebrow cocked in question. "God help us."

Krit bumped his hand against the back of her head. "Watch the screens."

"We should head out," Robin said, looking down at her ever-present wristwatch, "We'll need to get to the entrance site."

Seth slipped into the driver seat, and Robin, holding Taylor, took the passenger's seat. Krit stayed in the back with Syl, unobtrusively helping her connect the last few electronic pieces.

As Seth drove, Robin cuddled Taylor and played with her daughter's little hands and feet. Taylor gurgled and cooed and made grabs for wisps of Robin's hair that had escaped the tight ponytail she had put it up in. Silence settled over the van, making Robin uncomfortable. She hated the silence before the storm; she liked it much better when teams were joking and laughing even while the Manticore handlers told them to shut up.

"So, what are you going to do when we get back to T.C.?" she asked, bouncing Taylor a little as the baby started to complain. Robin guessed that Taylor could feel the silence falling too.

Seth pulled his shoulders back and then laughed. "I don't know," he said, "I wasn't really thinking that far ahead."

Robin grinned. "You do expect us to get back, don't you?"

"He better, because I'm sure as hell not staying here," Syl said, "It's too hot."

"We're going back to Seattle," Seth said, rolling his eyes at the rearview mirror. "I'm just..."

"In the moment?" Robin asked, smirking at him.

Seth's mouth quirked to the side. "Yeah, that's about it."

"So mission-minded," Robin said, tsking. "Do you know what I'm going to do?"

"No," Seth said. They stopped at an intersection light, and he glanced at her, sea-blue eyes looking at her. "Are you going to redecorate?"

"No!" Robin said, "That's not all I do, you know." She tugged Taylor's baby blanket tighter and shot him a half-hearted glare.

Seth grinned. "No, but it's all I could think of right now. Want me to guess something else?"

Robin considered it for a minute and then nodded. "Yes, I'll give you another chance."

"What? Am I being tested?" Seth flicked his eyes toward her.

"She's a girl," Krit put in from the back. "They're always testing you. Get used to it."

"Shut up, you like it," Syl said. There was the sound of her hand hitting the back of his head.

"Oh, yeah, I love being physically abused," Krit said, rubbing his head before going back to work on the electronics.

Robin grinned over at Seth. "You're only being tested if you think you are."

"That's cryptic," Seth said, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. The light turned green, and they made a right turn. "Am I supposed to be thinking of something specific?"

"I just want to see what you think I'll do," she said, smiling at him.

"It's so a test," Krit declared. "Be careful about what you say, she'll turn on you!"

"Krit," Robin turned around in the chair and gave Krit a dangerous look, "Care to shut up?"

"I'll keep him quiet," Syl said, slowly turning the chair around and smiling at Krit. Krit rolled his eyes at her but silently went back to work.

"What will you do…" Seth's thinking trailed off, and Robin traced her finger down Taylor's soft arm. He smiled and settled back into the driver's seat. "You'll take up dancing. Or art. I can't decide."

Robin arched her eyebrows. "And why do you think that? That's sort of a random thing to do."

"You might like it," Seth said, shrugging, "We're all designed with a strong creative suit, just in case they needed us to pose in an artistic profession."

"Yeah, Krit's just full of Picasso," Syl said, flicking Krit's ear.

Krit waved her hand away. "I don't do art," he said.

Robin looked out the window at the Cape Town buildings passing by. She had never really seriously thought about doing anything like that before. There had always been something else to do, like stealing, that seemed more automatically productive.

"I think you'd enjoy it," Seth said, flicking his gaze at her, "You should give it a try."

"I'll think about it," Robin said, smiling back at him.

"If you two are really wondering what you're going to do when we get back to T.C., I can tell you," Syl said, sounding much too perky. Before they cut answer her or cut her off, she plunged right into the rest of her thoughts. "I bet a queen size at least will fit into one of your bedrooms."

"Syl!" Robin said, her face growing hot.

Seth laughed. "Let's focus on the mission right now." He looked over at Robin, and she could see that the idea of rooming together permanently wasn't foreign to him. "We'll talk about what we'll do in T.C. when we get there."

That sounded like a good idea to Robin.

--------------------------------------

Alec was starting to get impatient. He knew girls took a while to get ready, and that Sidda's costume was more elaborate than his. But at this point, they were definitely going to be late.

"Ready yet?" he yelled up the stairs. "The party's already started."

"It's called being fashionably late," she yelled back. "And I'm coming anyway, don't work yourself into a frenzy."

"I'm not, I'm not. It's just…"

Alec paused in an utterly cliché moment as he saw her at the top of the stairs. Sidda smirked at him and twirled for his benefit. The supple leather outlined the shape of her body perfectly, and the slit in the side of the skirt gave a tantalizing view of an extremely well-toned leg.

Alec whistled appreciatively as Sidda sauntered down the stairs.

"Hey, Sidda, you actually clean up pretty good," Dalton said. He was on the couch, resting his elbows on the back of it as he watched her.

"Oh, geez, thanks, Dalton," Sidda said sarcastically as Alec cuffed Dalton on the side of the head.

She had to admit, Alec cleaned up pretty well too. Manticore soldiers had a remarkable ability to make anything look good, but they looked even better unclothed… not that Alec wasn't wearing clothes. But he was lacking in the shirt department, and the leather strap that went across his chest was doing a nice job of enhancing his muscular abs.

"Well, you two do look like a couple," Dalton said doubtfully. He rested his head on his arms, still bitter that he was being forced to stay home another night while they got to go have fun.

"We shouldn't," Sidda said. She smiled brightly at Alec. "We should look like brother and sister."

Alec frowned at her. "What? Why?"

"Well, if you had really done your research you would've known that we're half brother and sister, not lovers."

"Weren't all the gods incestuous anyways?" Alec asked. Sidda turned and looked at him, surprised Alec even knew that much. But he just shrugged as if everyone knew that.

"Maybe they were, but I'd rather avoid that. Modern day societal rules are a bit different from ancient times."

"Ewww," Dalton's face scrunched up in disgust as he looked at Alec, "That's just wrong, man. Hey, don't you guys want a driver or servant or anything? I could pose as one, and maybe they'd let me in…"

"Nice try, but for once we don't need you to act the serving boy."

"Keep that helpful attitude up though, and life might get much better," Alec said teasingly.

"Yeah, for you," Dalton replied.

"Exactly."

"Oh, come on, you were the one complaining about being late," Sidda said. She pulled Alec to the door. "Dalton, I'm not going to tell you to stay inside or anything because I'm not your mother, and I know you won't listen to me anyways. But please try to stay out of trouble, ok?"

"I'm not a kid, even though everyone seems to thinks so," Dalton said. "I can stay out of trouble, I promise."

"Yeah, sure. I'm going to pretend like I believe you," Sidda said. She and Alec had to leave then; the taxi had gotten there, and if it had to wait more than a minute it would start charging. They really didn't need to spend all their money on a stupid taxi for the ball.

The masquerade was being held in a place called the Pisani-Moretta Palace. It had been privately owned until a decade or so ago, when the family lost most of its fortune and sold the house to the government. Now tours of its beautiful 18th century architecture were held during the day, and its large rooms were rented out for parties and gatherings at night. It was supposed to beautiful , full of elaborate baroque decoration.

"I'm surprised you didn't get a gondola or something for us." Sidda was in a snarky mood. "Wouldn't that have been more romantic?"

Alec chuckled. "I was planning for the trip back. Moon and starlight and everything, right?"

Sidda shook her head and sat back in the seat of the taxi. She hadn't originally known what to think about the whole ball deal, but now she thought it was going to be sorta fun. As she'd been dressing in her room she'd started daydreaming about hot Italian men in skimpy clothes. It had created quite a nice picture. She turned her head away from Alec and smirked; Alec was going to see a whole new side of her tonight.

--------------------------------

When they were dropped off at the Pisani-Moretta, Sidda's mouth fell open. It was a huge palace, orange-pink with white trimming around the windows and balconies; it looked like a sunset. All around her, people in lavish costumes were getting out of cars that would they could have fenced and got enough money to run T.C. for a month. She jerked back as Alec tapped his hand under her chin.

"Catching flies isn't very classy, Sidda," he said, smirking at her.

She rolled her eyes at her. "Neither is wearing almost nothing to a masquerade," she retorted. However, she wasn't going to complain. Secretly, she was rather enjoying this shirtless variety of Alec. "And it's Athena, not Sidda. You have to get in character."

"Trust me, I have faking a soldier-type down to a T," Alec replied. He held out a hand to her, but she stared back at him, her eyebrows lifted.

"Brothers and sisters do not hold hands," she said, "And Ares is more bloodlust and passion than soldier. If you can manage that."

"I can do that, too," Alec replied. He glanced down at her. "What about the whole incest thing? Can that be a part of our characters?"

"That would have been Aphrodite and Ares," Sidda replied. She ran a hand down her thigh, smoothing out the leather and looked up at him. "Besides, Athena is a virginal goddess." She patted his arm and headed toward the palace. "Come on, soldier boy, let's go play with the commoners."

Alec's mouth below his masked eyes was a strained smile as he followed Sidda into the palace. Quite a few heads turned in their direction as they passed through the garden, presenting their tickets to the gatekeeper, and went into the massive foyer that was floored with pure Italian marble in a red-tinged, diagonal checkerboard pattern.

Music flowed from the hidden speakers, an anachronistic mixture of old waltzes that had been modernized with rock undertones. People in bright costumes thronged together in groups, chatting over drinks in slender, elegant glasses while they pretended not to know each other. Appreciative whispers whirled behind fans and among bowed heads as the two transgenics walked through the room.

"I think they like your dress," Alec said, keeping at Sidda's elbow. He was certain that he would lose her in the press of people, most of whom were taller and bigger than her.

"I think they like your abs," she replied, flicking her eyes up at him. "And as much as I admire them too, I think it's time we split up. Bro."

"Are you in character or you just planning on abusing me the whole night?" Alec demanded. His eyebrow arched. "And you like my abs?"

"Maybe" Sidda replied simply. "Anyways, we can cover more ground if we split up. Hear more things. Good thing you didn't decide that we should be two really clingy gods, like Krishna and Rahda." She slid her hand down his arm, from shoulder to wrist, and gave him a smile that he hadn't seen before. "Then we would have had to stay together all night. I'm glad you had the foresight not to choose something like that."

"Yeah, good thing," he said grumpily. "I'm so happy with myself."

"Me too," she said, winking at him. She bumped her hip against his side before sauntering off toward the stairs. "I'll be around if you need me, brother."

Alec watched her walk away, wondering how his great planning had suddenly backfired on him. How did that always happen?

While Sidda went upstairs to go…socialize, he would say, Alec planned to work the foyer. He'd find her later; she owed him a dance, fake sister or not, since he brought her there. And with her in that black leather dress, thin dress... He snatched a glass of champagne off a passing tray and downed it in one gulp. If she was going to be like that, then damn it, he was going to do the same thing. What did he care what Sidda did anyway? Damn girl, always twisting whatever he tried to do.

"Hey," a silky voice said, and a smooth, long-fingered hand rested on his shoulder. "Did you and the cute little Amazon have a fight?"

"I don't think you can call Athena an Amazon," he said, turning around.

An exotic woman, mocha skin and strong curves, stood behind him, her hand still on his shoulder. Colored contacts that had probably been bought just for tonight turned her eyes a brilliant purple, contrasting wildly with her bright gold mask. Straps of cloth the color of her eyes covered her in the important places and strips of lilac gauze trialed from her hands. Bits of gold chain were wrapped around her exposed limbs, and a golden headdress covered her curled dark brown hair. She was older than Alec, probably in her late twenties, but she was clinging hard to youth and doing a good job of it.

"Athena?" the woman asked, her lips curling in amusement. "Who wants a stuck-up virgin wise ass for a girl anyway?" She put her hands on Alec's chest, and his eyebrows jumped. Wow, she was a little forceful. "Peitho will show you a better time, Olympian."

"Peitho?" he asked, not remembering the name, "Are you Roman?"

The woman shook her head and the golden chains tinkled as they hit one another. "No, Grecian." She grabbed one of Alec's chest straps and pulled him toward one of the side rooms. "Come on, Adonis, I've got friends in the next room who'll want to meet you."

"It's actually Ares…"

The woman who called herself Peitho grinned and tugged again. "Good. Aphrodite will love seeing how you turned out."

As the woman pulled him into the side room, Alec started wondering if he should go find Sidda now. Maybe she needed rescuing from some Norse behemoth or an Egyptian death god. Yeah, she probably needed him by now.

-----------------------------------------------

"I love this place." Max turned to look at Logan, then laughed. He was leaning on the half-rotted fence, and even though he lacked the boots, plaid shirt, and cowboy hat, for a moment he just seemed to fit in there.

"What?" Logan asked, straightening up.

"Nothing." Max smirked and turned to look back at the big farmhouse. It was a good thing she was fairly agile, otherwise she might be scared to walk onto the sunken porch and across the leaning floors of the house.

"You always say that," Logan grumbled. He moved to come stand next to her. "Why did we come back out here again?"

"To take pictures, dork." Max waved the camera in front of his face. She'd decided to take Logan's advice and start pressing the issue of the farm to the other transgenics. She'd decided that photos would help her case, and she'd managed to rope Logan into taking her out here.

Max leapt onto the steps and paced around, trying to figure out what the good angles might be.

"I'll just stay down here," Logan called after her.

"Baby," Max muttered, going into a crouch to get a better picture. She got a nice shot that looked down the length of the porch, past the door, and out into the open fields.

"No sensible." Logan followed her as she moved around the porch, but he refused to actually climb into the building.

Max rolled her eyes. "It's not that bad, there are only a few bad spots. I could warn you."

"No need to."

"No need to make such a big dealio." Max sighed and looked at Logan. "Come on, I've got enough good ones here anyway. We can go to the barn."

"Nice solid ground, I can handle that," Logan said with a smile.

Max turned and walked backward while talking to him. "I thought you were going to come up into the loft with me," she said innocently.

"Much as I like what's implied when two people talk about going into a hayloft, no thank you."

Max's face fell immediately. "Not that it matters, for us."

Logan belatedly realized what his words had reminded Max of. "Yeah, well, by the time that loft is actually safe enough for me to go into, it might actually matter," he said with a grin.

A slow blush crossed Max's face, and she looked away from Logan. She was trying not to hope too much, but it was hard with Logan's constant optimism. Logan had always had a problem with seeing the world in a very realistic manner. Hence his save-the-world complex. Then again… there he was by her side, walking again.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"What?" Max looked at him. "Why would I want a penny?"

Logan laughed, "It's an old expression. I wasn't actually going to give you a penny. Unless you want one."

"So wait, you were going to lie and steal my thoughts?" Low, Logan. Very low."

"Fine, how about a dollar? That's all I have at the moment."

Max gave him a pitying smirk. "Keep your cash, poor man. I can get my own. I was just debating how much hope I should put in Sandeman's wife."

"A lot," Logan said confidently. They stopped in front of the barn and Max turned to face him, arms wrapped around her chest.

"I don't…"

"It'll be okay," Logan promised. He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and then rubbed her arms gently. Max stiffened, but she didn't move away. She was just trying to control the urge to take a step, to move closer to Logan.

"I hope you're right." She looked at the barn. "Come on, I have to get the rest of those pictures."


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Hey everyone, would've updated sooner, but there was a glitch. Thank you DancerInTheDark101, nattylovesu, 452max for awesome and well-loved reviews!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 21

Sidda was greatly enjoying herself in the second floor ball room. The peach-colored room had high, painted ceilings, enormous crystal chandeliers and an entire wall made out of windows that looked out onto a beautiful section of canal. At first, she contented herself with walking around the miscellaneous groups that traced the outline of the room, leaving space for the dancers.

While traveling around the groups, she was listening for any talk about genetics or the names "Barker" or "Carlina De Luca." The woman's name had been mentioned a few times, but it was only conversations about her, never an address directed at a person. Of course, with everyone pretending they were some god or classic hero, it was impossible to tell if you were talking to Ra or the prime minister of Italy. Every now and then, a man would approach her ask her dance, often mistakenly calling her by some love goddess or another. Every time they were sent away with the advice to gain more wisdom before they approached young goddesses with awful pick-up lines alluding to fruit or endowment.

After a little while, she grew bored of eavesdropping on dull conversations about Italian politics and the economy. Deciding she had declined enough proposals to dance, she approached a group of people who were about her own age that had gathered in a corner of the room around one of the antique tables. No doubt these were all heirs to fortunes, big estates or mafias, and if they knew what she really was, they would have gotten someone to dispose of her or done it themselves. But now, in this disguise, she was Athena, and they were an assorted collection of gods and goddesses from other pantheons that assumed she was one of them, part of the upper echelon of Venetian society.

"And who might you be, helmed and yet still heavenly?" asked one of the young men. He was handsome, mischievous dark brown eyes peering out from behind a black half-mask. Three day old scruff covered his chin, giving him a roguish appearance. He was dressed in a sleek black outfit with tall black boots and black leather gloves. Sidda could see subtle streaks of gold in the outfit, bits that wouldn't catch other people's eyes unless he was moving through the lights.

Sidda approached him, making sure to keep her movements as graceful as possible. The seat beside him was free and next to that free seat was another man, this one dressed completely in red and just as handsome as the first except that his hair was a brown instead of black.

"Since you didn't refer to my extreme beauty as a love goddess or prowess as a fertility goddess, I suppose you'll be worth talking to," Sidda said as she slipped into the free chair, "Though I'm not sure if a mere man in black is worth my time."

"How about red?" said the grinning young man to her right. "Cocidius, Celtic god of war, is always happy to be the companion to a beautiful woman with a bow and arrow."

"There's certainly an abundance of war gods tonight," Sidda said, smirking as she picked up a drink from the center of the table. "And you, _inamorato_?" she said, turning her head toward the man dressed in black.

"Commedia dell'arte doesn't apply to the Norse," he replied, "And I do believe I asked you first, _Colombina royal_."

Sidda sipped from the glass and then put it back down on the table. "Trickster god? Or Death? Please don't be Death, it's cliché."

He smiled at her and picked up her glass. Drinking the rest of it, he set it down on the table and grinned at her. "Loki, though none of these dolts appreciate it."

"That's because you're a complete cad," a girl across the table declared, a British accent coloring her Italian speech. She was dressed in two gauze wings and had an iridescent rainbow painted across her face.

"I'm not a cad," said Loki, smirking at Sidda, "I'm simply not civilized."

"Which makes you a cad," the girl dressed as Iris said, rolling her eyes.

Sidda looked at Loki and picked up his drink. "You'll have to try not to be so uncultured. You might end up in the Underworld having acid dripped onto your face."

Loki cocked an eyebrow at her. "Is that so?"

"Go ask a Fate," Sidda said, smirking at him. She downed his drink and put it back on the table. "They'll tell you no lies."

"I'd rather avoid the Fates," Loki said. He eyed his empty cup. "Unless they're willing to replenish the goblet that the thirsty Minerva has emptied."

"A Roman goddess, where would the fun be in that?" she queried.

"Ah," Cocidius kissed her hand, "It is a pleasure to meet a being who's every action and word encourages war. My dearest Athena. A much lovelier name than Minerva, if I may say so. Loki would definitely be a cad to think that you could be her."

Sidda looked at Cocidius and laughed, and as she did so she suddenly became aware of a very masculine presence standing at the door. She wasn't the only one whose head turned either.

"I heard Peitho snatched him up," the annoying Iris snickered.

"I wonder who could be behind her mask," another girl said dryly.

Loki obviously didn't care about the new god who entered the room, as he was still concentrating on Sidda. "Cocidius has read me all wrong, as any straightforward fellow would do. It is a love of provocation and war that cause me to call you by your despised counterpart, Athena."

"Is that so?" Sidda murmured. Her attention was only half on Loki now. Alec had been staring at her for several seconds, and even though it appeared as if she was thoroughly engrossed in her flirtations, she couldn't help but watch what he was doing as well. She couldn't suppress the small spurt of satisfaction she felt at the way his face seemed to grow darker and more stony the longer he watched her. It helped with the whole Greek god thing- he was taking on the appearance of a statue.

"Excuse me." Sidda heard a woman a few conversations away. "I believe my lover has arrived." The dark-haired woman broke away from the group and sauntered up to Alec. Sidda couldn't believe the audacity of that woman! What was it with Aphrodites being utterly clueless? Did she actually think a man like Alec wouldn't come with a date?

"Who shall you favor with a dance? My bumble-headed friend here or myself?"

Sidda looked at Loki again, suddenly tired of his fake cleverness. But she had a point to prove.

"Come on," she said abruptly, standing up at the same time. She arched her eyebrow as he just sat there for a second, surprised by the quickness of her decision. "Though if you don't want to dance anymore, I'm certain Cocidius will oblige."

Cocidius jumped to his feet, but Loki quickly cut him off.

"Forgive my rudeness, the strength of your presence has tied my tongue."

"Doubt it," Sidda muttered, too quietly for him to hear. But as he turned her onto the dance floor, she caught sight of Aphrodite wrapped thoroughly around Alec. Well. Sidda smiled her most dazzling, charming smile at Loki and had the pleasure of seeing him actually gape for a moment.

Luckily the man wasn't an idiot and quickly pulled himself together. He drew her closer for the dance and leaned forward to whisper into her ear. "Unless you really want to dance with Cocidius, what do you say to getting away from this party and going somewhere else more fun?"

"And where would that be?" Sidda said, drawing her fingertips caressingly against the back of Loki's neck. Loki's lips grazed the skin below her ear lightly, and she could feel his teeth draw across it without breaking skin. She couldn't decide if she liked his audacity or not. Perhaps since she was thinking about it with such detachment, it meant that she didn't really care for it. Or him.

"I don't know, my place?" Loki suggested huskily. Apparently he'd give up all pretense of bantering.

"She's already engaged at mine." Sidda smiled as she saw Alec's presence reflected in Loki's face. Her dancing partner went stiff with anger and embarrassment. Alec laid a possessive hand on Sidda's arm from behind, then moved closer so that most of his arm was wrapped around her, and she was disturbingly close to that naked chest.

"Don't you owe me a dance, _tesoro mio_?" Alec asked.

"I think you owe me an apology for interrupting mine," Sidda replied, rolling her eyes up at him even as her heart pounded. She glanced around, wondering where that ditzy Aphrodite had wandered off to. Ah, there she was, back with the Zeus-wannabe she had been with earlier. She looked pissed. Sidda grinned.

"You should be thanking me for saving you from Zorro here," Alec said, glancing at Loki, "Since he's far below an Olympian, or so I've heard."

"I'm Norse, not Mexican," Loki replied, glaring at Alec. Sidda bit her bottom lip and tried to glare at Alec, but the infuriated look on Loki's face was too funny.

"Ah. So instead of being a badass hero, you're a furry Viking throwback?" Alec raised an eyebrow before looking down at Sidda. "Come on. Being incestuous with me is so better than going home with the barbarian reject."

Loki wrapped his hand around Sidda's arm and pulled her back toward him. "She doesn't have to go anywhere she doesn't want to."

Sidda grabbed Loki's hand and squeezed his fingers, grinding the bones together. "That's right," she said as he winced in pain, his mouth open, "I don't have to go with you."

When Sidda let go of his fingers, Loki stepped back, glaring at her. "You'll regret that, you little bitch. My father—"

Alec stepped up to the shorter man and stared him down, his eyes as hard as cut diamonds. "You know what I think? I think you're going to walk back over to your group of little snob-ass friends and never talk to her again. Got it?" He smirked back over his shoulder at Sidda. "Or I'll let her do more than crush your fingers."

Loki looked from Alec to Sidda and then stalked off, heading for the door instead of the table his friends were sitting at. Alec turned to Sidda and took her hand before she could walk off the dance floor. "Now that you're free, care to dance?"

Sidda smirked up at him as she slipped her free hand into his. "You can't just scare off my dance partners like that. What if I had been getting information from him?"

"And what if you were just using him?" Alec said, starting a slow step that followed the song that was playing over the speakers.

"How could I be using him for anything besides information?" Sidda asked innocently as she laced her hands together behind Alec's neck. Damn, he was tall. She was careful not to smudge the multiple layers of foundation she had used to cover up his barcode.

"I don't know," Alec said, his hands traveling down her waist. "You could've been using him as a play toy."

"What if I was genuinely interested in him?" she asked.

"You weren't," Alec said with swift certainty.

"You don't know that," Sidda said. She looked up at his dark green-gold eyes. "You don't know what I like."

"Don't I?" he asked, giving her a feral grin as he squeezed her waist. She gasped and tried to pull away, but he held her still. "Do you always try to run away?"

"Reflex," she muttered, looking down at the floor. Feeling that the situation was becoming extremely unprofessional, she decided to bring the discussion to a more useful topic. "Did you find out anything about Carlina? Is she here?"

Alec sighed. Wasn't she ever going to just enjoy herself? "Yeah."

Sidda stopped dancing and stared up at him. "Yeah? Then why are we still here, we should be tailing her, not dancing."

"The party doesn't end until three in the morning," Alec said, making a face, "It's only twelve. Is it going to kill you to dance with me just this once, Sidda?"

Sidda pulled her hands away from him. "No, but Max and Logan are relying on us…"

"But they'd want us to have a good time too, if we can manage it," Alec said. "Just dance with me, and then we can run off and play at being the good little soldiers we are, okay?"

Sidda hesitated, her eyes flicking toward the door. Carlina could decide to leave at any minute, it may be weeks before they got another whiff of her or Logan scrounged up some useful information. But Alec was right, the party had a few more hours…She tentatively took a step closer to him. "Just one dance."

Alec smirked and toyed with a strand of her hair that had escaped her helm. "Fine. Just one."

---------------------------------

"Wow, I thought we were done with the days of crawling through nasty tunnels." Krit grimaced at all the dank air and the sludge underfoot.

"We never were, you just always got to sit up here in your comfy little van," Syl's voice crackled over the radio.

"They never stop, do they?" Robin said. She turned and grinned at Krit, who made a face at her.

"I heard that!" Syl's voice came across again.

"Better adjust the volume or else the soldiers will hear her," Krit muttered, fiddling with the mic. Robin and Seth had to both control an urge to laugh; poor Krit did seem to have problems with getting away from Syl. Even when she physically wasn't present, she liked to make herself known.

"Fine, if he doesn't want my help, he won't get it," Syl muttered into Seth's ear.

"Syl."

"Ok, got it, business. You've still got a ways before you come to where the first soldier should be stationed. He may like to patrol a bit, so just be careful. I'd give it around 500 feet with a few bends and turns."

Seth nodded and then signaled for the others to fall in with him. From now on it would be Manticore signals. For Krit's sake he would try and remember to use the older ones. Manticore had changed a lot of signals after the 09ers left, simply because they wanted their soldiers to be able to effectively take teams against the escapees. Sadly, it had worked a few times.

Seth stopped them at about one hundred feet out and then moved forward, this time more cautiously. Robin held back so that she was about thirty feet behind; it could either add an element of surprise or give her time to escape if it turned out to be an ambush. Not that she probably would, from what she'd told Seth about her need to play bodyguard.

The nice thing about these South African Red Series was that even though the dudes were freakishly strong, they weren't exactly the most creative sort. The guard that had been posted stood stock-still in the middle of the passage, head swiveling occasionally as he checked all sides. Following orders to a T, no initiative.

They stilled right at the end of the tunnel. As long as they didn't move, he wouldn't see them. Seth signaled again, and Krit nodded. They both blurred toward the soldier, and the soldier's head snapped toward them. He lifted a gun up with one arm while his other hand went for his mic. Krit was at the mic arm in a second, immediately disabling it before he could issue a warming. Seth chopped down on the guy's arm, causing the gun to clatter to the floor.

The element of surprise was over, and the soldier started fighting back. But that didn't matter; Robin was there now and though it was painful for a few seconds, the three of them soon overpowered him. It still took a lot longer than they were used to. He put up quite a determined fight.

"Crap, I'm gonna have a few bruises," Robin said, rubbing her jaw. The back of her head also ached where she'd been thrown against the wall once.

Seth rubbed his own left hand; chopping down on the guy's muscle had been like chopping into a cement block. "Well, hopefully we won't have to worry about getting any more of those," Seth said.

"Are you tying him up?" Robin asked Krit in disbelief. He was winding some security rope-tape around the soldier, binding hands, feet, and gagging him. "We sort of shot him several times, beat him up, and stabbed him a couple times." They had talked to Logan right before heading out, and they had decided they were right to bring several different types of weapons. Max had told him that the more wounds, the better.

"I'm not taking my chances," Krit said, finishing up. "From everything I've heard, it takes a lot to kill these guys."

"Hence the multiple choices of weapons," Robin said. But she didn't press the issue further. Whatever made Krit happy.

"Did you disarm him?" Seth asked, picking up the gun the soldier had dropped.

"Of course," Krit said, pocketing some gear. He held up the soldier's mic, "I've also got a way now for us to hear what's going on in there. It shouldn't be too hard to find the channel that security is broadcasting on."

Seth smiled and shook his head. "Glad you're here with us, Krit."

"Come on, guys, move." Syl's voice was urgent. "We've got limited time before someone figures out that muscle-man isn't reporting in anymore."

"Got it," Seth said. The three of them moved on down the tunnel system with Syl directing them through the turns that would take them as far under the warehouse as they could go. Sandeman's wife was supposed to be located fairly close to the heart of the building, which made sense. They wouldn't want someone as valuable as her on the perimeter of the building, where she could possibly make an easy escape. Not that making an escape from this place would be easy at all.

"How many more soldiers should we run up against?" Seth asked Syl.

"Well, there should be one in about a hundred feet, then one after that in about fifty feet. That'll be the hardest part. If you're not quiet, the other one will hear you and then you'll have to face two of the bastards at once. After that it's home clear until you get to where you're going to exit into the building. Then you get to have some fun again."

----------------------------

The team of three made their way down the hall, using a heavy combination of team-work and weaponry to take out the Red Series soldiers that they came across. Most of them were big, hulking Dutch dudes with blond hair and faces that looked like they could belong on Cro-Magnon men. By the time they reached the third Red soldier, they were all sporting numerous bruises, Krit had a cracked rib, Seth's lip was busted and Robin's left wrist was wrenched.

The last Red soldier they came up against was a thick-set short man with brown hair that stuck up in a buzz cut. He saw them coming, and like the others, moved for his mic, but, just like the others, the transgenics beat him to it. What the X5s had going for them was a whole lot of speed, agility, and just plain determination. What the Red soldier had was a whole lot of rage and a pain threshold of a bazillion.

"Just! Go! Down!" Robin growled as she repeatedly shot the man in the stomach while he kept his hands firmly wrapped around Krit's throat. Seth was trying to pry the soldier's sausage roll fingers away from the man's throat, but Krit's face was still turning blue.

Seth snatched up the gun that the soldier had been using and let off two shots into the big guy's forehead. The man fell backward, crashing to the ground like a falling tree. Krit stumbled backwards, rubbing his neck and glaring at body.

"Sorry," Seth said to Krit, "I ran out." He glanced over at Robin. "I'm guessing you don't like shooting people in the head?"

"I've never been a fan of excessive gore," she said. Her nose filled with the scent of gun powder and blood, an awfully familiar combination that got her blood pumping. She nodded to the door that the man had been guarding. "That should lead us into the building."

"I could've told you that, if you had let me," Syl said, sounding rather peeved. She was starting to make it obvious that she didn't like being left behind while they went off on the actual mission.

"I think we could have figured it out for ourselves." Seth was in the mission, and he didn't have time to assuage hurt feelings. He nodded to Krit. "Can you open it?"

"Yeah, I have the code," Krit replied. "Shouldn't we get changed first? I don't think they'll like it if we go in looking like…sewer people."

A slight smirk colored Seth's face. "Good idea."

The three of them threw on the scientists' clothing. They had chosen lab coats that were not too dirty or wrinkled, and Krit, with Logan's long-distance help, had designed I.D. badges for them.

When he was dressed in a lab coat and slacks, Krit walked up to the door and started punching numbers into the keypad. His fingers danced across the keypad, putting in a code that Seth and Robin memorized while they watched him. After a moment, the door opened, revealing a stark blue hallway.

Memories of Manticore popped into all of their heads. Blue hallways, people marching, kids shouting as they went through katas, gun firing, the smell of ammonia drifting from the labs. Robin shook her head, trying to get rid of the unwanted images.

"Scientists usually stay out of this part of the building, so you'll have to get out of there fast," Syl said, her voice quiet through the headsets. "I'm feeding film through the nearby cameras, but we don't have to equipment to cover the whole building."

"We'll move fast then," Seth confirmed. He looked at Robin and Krit, and they both made affirmative signals. Now they were getting to the hard part.

"I'm looking at the live feeds from the cameras," Syl said, "No one's in the halls where you are right now, so you should move now."

At her word, the trio blurred out of the tunnel, Seth slamming the door shut behind them. They shot down the hallway, Syl whispering directions to them. They eventually came to another door that had a keypad.

"Syl, are you scrambling these entries?" Krit asked as he typed in another stream of passwords and codes.

"No, I'm just letting them log so they can find you," Syl snapped back. "Of course I'm scrambling them."

"Just making sure," Krit said, "It'd suck for them to track us that way."

"Syl, is there anyone in the hallway?" Seth asked, breaking off any possible argument that was going to start between the two 09ers.

"Yes, a couple of officers, a colonel and a lieutenant," Syl said. "They're probably going to go check on why the Reds haven't replied to their calls. You should take them out."

"I think we can incapacitate them," Seth said, "We already took out the Reds. These men don't need to die."

"Whatever you say, Seth," Syl said, "But don't be surprised when they call someone on your asses."

"Just block the feed to the hall," Seth said, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't used to someone talking back to him while he was on a mission. No one at Manticore ever questioned his orders; it was disconcerting to know that Syl would disobey him if she felt for some reason that her reasoning was better than his.

When the door popped open, Krit and Robin sprang forward, both of them grabbing an officer. When they dragged them into the hallway, Krit slammed his palm down across the back of the colonel's head while Robin cut off the lieutenant's air supply until he fainted from the lack of oxygen.

Krit tied both of them up and left them on the inside of the hallway, beside the keypad. "They'll be awake soon. We should probably cut our time in half."

Seth sighed, and Robin gave him a half-smile. "Don't you just love difficult missions?"


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Thank you nattylovesu, Stratagem, 452max, Alexa and sango32510 for reviewing!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 22

Sidda didn't know why she was hesitating to dance with Alec. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that when his arms wrapped around her, it took almost all of her will and focus to keep her heart from speeding up. All she needed was Alec teasing her about her stupid body's signals. Just because her body liked him…well, that didn't necessarily mean anything.

She still couldn't help smile a bit though at the feel of his bare muscles; that had been the one downside to spending so much mission time in a convent. She'd had to go without any males her age for a long time and hadn't had the chance for even the simple pleasure of dancing with a man. Unless you counted teaching Brother Mark the Twist.

The music started, and Sidda didn't really think about it until Alec's mouth suddenly quirked and he held out his hand. Her perfect memory rewound, and she laughed as she realized why that crooked grin had appeared.

'_I feel your hand reach for… my hand.'_

Very appropriate lyrics.

Sidda grinned and shook her head as she placed her hand in his. This was a good song for them to choose; it was modern (well, pre-pulse modern), and yet it had a beat that it could be waltzed too. Most of the couples in the room were just slow dancing to the song, and Sidda settled in for a nice, sedate dance. Of course, it could only be so sedate with Alec…

She gasped as Alec swept her away.

"Wha…what are you doing?" she sputtered as he pulled her past a staring couple.

"Dancing." He whirled her in an elegant circle as she clung to his lead.

"Are you waltzing?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, when one follows a musical pattern that has a three-count beat in the traditional fast-paced Viennese style, then yes, it is usually called waltzing."

"Where did you learn to waltz?" she demanded. Sidda blinked as the lyrics of the song distracted her momentarily.

'_Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm 'bout to let you in…'_

"Well, I told you I had some deep-cover missions in the houses of the elite. Apparently the houses still train their kids in ballroom dancing. Though I will admit, I'd forgotten I knew how to waltz until just now."

"Good to know this isn't normal," Sidda grumbled. She couldn't help but noticed the stares of some of the people around them. "I don't really like becoming the center of attention without warning."

"Sorry," Alec said. He was totally unapologetic; he was definitely enjoying being the center of attention.

"And now I know why you remembered it," Sidda said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, you shouldn't be too worried either. Thanks to the perfect memory recall and natural grace Manticore gave you, this dance should be easy for you."

"Well, it is, but…" She narrowed her eyes as the room darkened, giving everything a much more romantic cast.

_'Tangled, wounded, perfect…'_

"Did you plan this with the band or something?" Sidda asked suspiciously.

"No, but I think we should take advantage of it," Alec said, his arms tightening around her.

"Alec…" Sidda's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Song's not over yet, I get you until the end of the dance."

"Fine."

Sidda's heart pounded as they moved over the dance floor, other couples moving back to make room for them. Her cheeks burned, but she didn't know if it was from embarrassment or excitement.

'_Take me down, take me in, take me anywhere you want to go, I'm not leaving.'_

She took a deep breath and settled down, finally surrendering to him and this dance. It was only one silly dance, anyways, it wasn't like…like he really liked her or anything. It was just a game they both played. Wasn't it? Whatever, she was having fun now, even if it was just an act.

As the song slowed down, so did their dance. He has led them to the side of the floor, and they moved in a slow circle as the musical interlude played. Sidda, grinning and slightly giddy from being turned around the dance floor, looked up at him. Before she could pull away, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers as if asking permission, his eyelashes tickling her forehead with a butterfly's kiss.

Sidda gave a small gasp, but before he could move away, she got up onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his, giving him the permission he wanted. He pulled one hand from hers to put it on the small of her back and pull her closer as the lyrics started again.

'_Something transparent like seeing through who I am.'_

They didn't waltz, but Sidda pressed her cheek to his chest as they swayed back and forth to the music, the other couples filling into the empty spaces on the dance floor.

'_Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm 'bout to let you in, yeah, I am unraveling.'_

Stupid, wonderfully applicable lyrics. She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hand gently. If this wasn't a game, it could possibly be the best moment of her life.

The music faded into another song, and she reluctantly looked up at Alec's face. She didn't want to step away, but Manticore had taught her too well. "The mission?"

"Screw it," Alec said huskily, "We'll find her later. Swear." His hands traveled down her waist, making her shiver. "Is that okay with you?"

"God, Alec, don't do that," Sidda protested half-heartedly as she grabbed one of the straps across his chest and twisted it around her fingers. His hands reached lower, and she yanked him forward, her eyes flashing. "I said don't."

"That's not what I think you're saying," he said, his smile positively feral. "And it's definitely not what you're thinking."

"Then what am I thinking?"

Alec smirked. "It's not appropriate to talk about with an ex-nun," he said.

"Emphasis on ex," Sidda said. She moved her fingers through his spiky hair and grinned. "And an initiate isn't really a nun."

"Well, it's a relief to know that," Alec said, capturing her fingers and caressing them with his thumb. "Otherwise, I might feel guilty.

"You haven't done anything yet."

Alec gave her a wide grin. "Yet being the key word."

Sidda felt a hot blush spread through her body at his implication. Wow, she wished they hadn't found their mission target.

Sidda had to move away before she did something she would later regret. Well, she might never actually regret it. So she really, really had to move away before she did the non-regrettable thing.

"We have to do this," she said, forcing herself to back away from Alec.

He just closed the distance between them again. "Do, what, exactly?" he asked, his eye glinting in a way that spelled danger for her.

"Um…" She had to collect her thoughts. This was not good, she should not lose control. She closed her eyes and collected herself. She had to think Manticore.

"Find out target." She opened her eyes and looked up at Alec, certain now that she could handle his proximity.

Alex's disappointed look was way more adorable than Sidda would ever, ever tell him. "But I could think of so many other fun things to do…"

"Yes, well, the sooner we're done with her, the sooner we can do other…fun things."

"Hmm, that sounds a bit better. But can we somehow come up with a way for her to leave early? I really don't want to have to sit around and watch some middle-age lady who is determined to prove how young she is by staying until the end of the ball." Alec was already steering Sidda off the dance floor, one hand still pressed to the small of her back. It felt very nice to have his hand there.

"Well, I've always enjoyed fire…" She thought about that for a split second, "No, no, we couldn't."

"Why not? Sounds good to me."

"Look at where we are! We can't just burn down a historical treasure."

"It's covered in pink and tacky gold. You really like this place?" Alec looked pointedly at a particularly gaudy wall-mirror that they were passing; the frame was decorated with ornate golden cherubs.

"What I like doesn't matter. We can't burn it down." And there was a blue room too. There were a few redeeming qualities to the place.

"What about just her dress or something? She'll have to leave the ball if she doesn't have any clothes…"

"What, now you want to see the body of the middle-aged woman that you were so eager to watch earlier?" Men. They all seemed to have a fascination with the idea of naked people.

"Good point." Alec frowned as he contemplated the picture Sidda had painted for him. He definitely didn't want to see Carlina's body unclothed. But Sidda's…

"Okay, so where is Carlina? Maybe we'll figure out something after we see the set-up of her location."

"She's actually in this room right here." Alec nodded to the doorway a few feet further on; it lead into one of the smaller ballrooms. He chuckled and looked at Sidda. "Another Aphrodite."

Sidda almost stopped. She looked at Alec and grimaced. "Really, we have to deal with that again?"

"What can I say? The ladies find me attractive." Oh, why did he have to be right? He was so exasperating!

Sidda rolled her eyes at him. "And some ladies might find your arrogance a major turn-off."

"Good thing someone's not a lady," he replied, trailing his fingers along her side. She grabbed his hand and glared up at him, but it was hard to stay furious when he blew her hair across her face.

"If you keep doing that—"

"What are you going to do?" he asked, grinning at her. He was surprised when she kissed the corner of his lips and trailed around to his lips. When she pulled away, she was smirking.

"Please, can we just finish this mission and then go home? I swear I'll make up for wasted time."

He brushed his hand down her arm until he caught her hand and tugged her into the room. "Then let's get this over with."

"Glad you're focused," Sidda said, "But what exactly are we going to do?"

"Making it up as I go," Alec said as they skirted around the edge of the room. Sidda felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she noticed a lady in something that looked like a purple slave-girl outfit staring at Alec like she was going to eat him. She was surprised at the possessive fury that cooled her arms and heated her chest.

Normally she was relatively good at handling her emotions, but when that woman looked at Alec like that, Sidda wanted to gouge those sappy blue eyes out. Beside the blue-eyed whore was a woman in pink. She was much more modestly dressed, but she was staring at Alec too... Even while she tried to calm her thoughts, she figured that it would take her five seconds to cross the room and about seven point five to break both their necks.

They ducked behind a pillar, and Alec took Sidda's upper arms in his hands. "What do you say to playing the jealous girlfriend?"

"Alec, I'm not your girlfriend," Sidda said, rolling her eyes at him.

He smirked. "Titles are small things. Ask Max. She's been pretending to not date Logan for a couple years."

"Alec—"

"Just roll with it, Sidda, okay?" Alec said, "I'm trusting Manticore to have given you a jealous gene."

"Why would they do that?" Sidda scoffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned up at him. "That'd be a self-defeating character trait."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't have it," he said. He leaned down and kissed her, his lips lingering against hers. "We'll call it an experiment."

"Alec!" she hissed, but he was already gone, heading straight for the cotton-candy bimbos. Her muscles caught on fire as the one in purple swirled off her seat and walked toward him with what she probably thought was extreme grace and beauty. There was a candle stand two feet from Sidda. A well-aimed, forceful throw could probably skewer…but she wasn't jealous. Oh no. She was completely calm…even as the purple one threw herself on Alec…and Sidda's fingers started breaking the trimming on the marble pillar was leaning against. No jealous. At. All.

Peitho and Aphrodite might be attractive if they were a tad younger. But they weren't, and Alec wasn't really interested. Not when he had Sidda waiting for him… but he had a job to do, and this was one he was usually pretty good at.

"Hello ladies."

"Oh, so now you decided to return after giving me the slip." The purple-clad Peitho pouted at him, but in a way that was obviously an invitation as well. She was just happy he was back. Maybe Alec wouldn't even need Sidda to play the jealous girlfriend.

"Well, I found I couldn't stay away from you and your equally lovely friend." Alec turned to look at Aphrodite, also known as Carlina, mission target. For now.

Carlina gave Alec a warm smile. "Well, he certainly knows how to talk," she murmured to her friend.

"I practice everyday for moment such as these, when I have the rare chance to meet not one, but two beautiful ladies." It hadn't taken long for Alec to learn that the more flatter, the better, in Italy. It was just too easy.

"Well, s smart man knows that he should not only enjoy the opportunity, he should take advantage of it," Carlina said softly. Man, she must not get a lot of action coupled up in her lab; she was being pretty obvious.

"Ahh, I suppose the question then is if I'm a smart man or not," Alec said, smiling at her. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder, wondering if Sidda going to intervene yet. The conversation was pretty obvious, and he was sure that jealous streak had to be making its presence felt by now.

But she seemed unconcerned, casually leaning against a pillar. Was he supposed to go on? Did she actually want him to take these two women home?

"Well, a smart man would prove he was intelligent by meeting us at the front door," Peitho said, tugging on Carlina's arm. "After all, we can. ..talk...more freely in less public places."

Alec glanced at Sidda again, but she didn't seem to be paying them much attention. Did she really not care? He had been so sure…

"I would be happy to, perhaps, accompany you home? To see you there safely, of course."

"Of course," Carlina said, laughing. Now she was willing to be lead off by Peitho. "We'll just get our coats."

"I'll be waiting," Alec said. As soon as they had moved into the crowd, Alec went over to Sidda. "What's going on?" he demanded. "I thought you were going to burn their dresses or get in a cat fight or something."

Sidda gave Alec a cool smile. "I thought this way would work better. Less…messy."

Alec rolled his eyes. "So what do you want me to do? Go home and sleep…"

"No." Sidda's eyes flashed as she cut him off; she didn't care how calm and collected she was determined to stay, he was not going to go into either of those women's houses. "Just go with them to the house. Then leave." She crossed her arms and looked up at Alec. "Unless you'd rather stay with them…"

Alec chuckled and leaned down to press his lips against hers. "I think you're jealous," he murmured into her mouth.

"Am not," Sidda protested softly. She had been determined to punish his flirting with the older women by resisting any of his advances, but it was simply impossible. Her body melded to his like she was meant to be a part of him.

Alec coaxed her mouth open, forcing her lips to lose their tight resistance. She gave in to the intoxicating kiss for a moment then pulled herself away.

"You have to go meet them," she said sharply.

Alec sighed, frustrated with her focus on the stupid mission. He could think of much more important things to do right now… but he would do what she wanted. And then later, she would do what he wanted.

He tried to fill the ride back to their place with pleasant commentaries and flattery. It was hard to be constantly creative, especially when he was normally very straightforward with women that he was interested in. He knew they expected him to be straightforward when they got to wherever Carlina and the other woman lived, but in front of the taxi driver he was supposed to be discreet.

He looked out the back occasionally to make sure that Sidda was following him, and he did catch a glimpse of her twice. She had shucked the costume for something a bit easier for sneaking around: tight black clothes. They were very complimentary to her figure.

"This is my home," Peitho said, smiling at Alec. She glanced at Carlina. "Do you want to stay the night here, dear, or continue on to your place?" It was obvious what Peitho wanted.

"I'll come in, if you don't mind," Carlina said, giving her friend a smile full of menacing teeth.

Alec got out while they were arguing and opened the door for both ladies. They better pay the cab driver; he wasn't going to. And damn, this wasn't actually Carlina's place. Maybe he could send Dalton back to watch the place later tonight, in case Carlina left. And that way, he and Sidda could have the house to themselves…and Dalton would get the job he'd been begging for… the plan was starting to sound better and better.

Alec walked them to their door, a lady on each arm. As soon as Peitho had unlocked the door he held it open for them, smilingly bowed them in. And then he turned to leave.

"Aren't you coming in?" Peitho asked in a shocked voice.

Alec turned and leaned against the wall of the house; he gave her the lazy grin that had charmed many a lady in the past.

"It's a bit late, and unfortunately, I have many things to do tomorrow. But perhaps you can save me a later date?"

Peitho narrowed her eyes at him as if trying to decide if he was seriously interested or not. Carlina moved around her friend. "Of course we will," she said smoothly. She handed Alec a card. "My number, Ares. Call when you're free." Then she pushed Peitho back inside.

Alec waited until the door had closed, then turned and waved the card in the air so that Sidda could see it from wherever she was watching. Carlina had given him her number…this was almost too easy.

"Oh, stop showing off." Sidda dropped down from the roof and snatched the card out of Alec's hand. With her other hand, she yanked him away from the door.

"Be careful, they might be watching."

"They're not," Sidda ground out. "They're carefully staying in a back room so you'll think they don't care whether you call or not."

"What, are you a mind reader now?"

"I know women," Sidda said, rolling her eyes. They were out of view of the house now, and she turned to face Alec. "I can't believe you actually promised to see them later anyway. What is that going to accomplish? There was no need for it, it's not like we needed her number either."

Alec's grin widened. "I love it when you get jealous," he said, closing in for a kiss.

Sidda pushed him away. "I am not jealous!" she sputtered angrily. "I just want you to keep a distance from our target so you can focus on watching her instead of being with her!"

"Who says I was actually going to spend time with her? I got the card, you should be happy."

Sidda snorted and crossed her arms. "Well, I'm not."

"Too bad." Alec went in again, and this time he didn't take no for an answer. He wrapped his arms around her stiff body and pulled her up against him before kissing her deeply. He chuckled as he felt her soften up a bit. "Can we please go home now?"

-------------------------------------------

As they traveled further into the building, Robin, Seth, and Krit met more personnel. Some were blatantly military while others seemed like scientists or a mixture of the two. Seth took the point while Robin and Krit followed behind him, everyone doing their best not to make eye contact with the people in the hallways. Syl was maintaining radio silence since they had memorized the path from the tunnels to where the room where Sandeman's wife was supposed to be.

While they were walking down the hallway, Syl whispered into their ears. "There's a woman about to come out of a door to your left. She's got a high-level clearance badge. Steal it."

Robin nodded, knowing that Syl would see the slight movement in the camera lodged in the corner of the hallway.

They'd already agreed before they left that Robin was the best at stealing stuff; she and Sidda had made a game of it when they first left Manticore. Sidda always did better then Robin, but Sidda wasn't on this mission. Thus, stealing fell to Robin. And if Robin didn't manage to steal the clearance badge without the woman noticing then they would just tie her up and leave her in some unused-looking room. Still, it was better not to leave any people lying around for as long as possible.

Right before the woman came out of the door Robin moved so that she would be on the side closest to the door. As the woman came out, Robin accidentally bumped into her. The oldest trick in the book, and it probably wouldn't have worked on the street. But no one was expecting to be stolen from in here.

"Oops, sorry." The woman stared at Robin for a moment as if she was a low-level parasite. She pursed her lips slightly and then moved on without saying a word.

"That's all right; it's okay," Robin muttered for the woman, too quietly for anyone but a transgenic to pick up. Nice to know these people had manners. Krit and Seth grinned at her, and Robin could hear Syl snickering in the mike. Robin glared at the guys; just because she had stolen the woman's stupid badge didn't mean the woman had to be mean like that. The woman hadn't known!

"Did you get it?" Syl asked.

"Of course. Otherwise we'd be busy bundling her off right now."

"Touchy, touchy. Ok, keep going. You'll pass one hallway on the left, then after that three doors on the right. Take the 4th door on the right." They moved to follow Syl's commands even as she spoke, and it wasn't long before they were through the door, which they needed the security clearance for. Handy, that woman coming along by herself.

The doorway opened into a smaller hallway, still brightly lit. There were more doorways off to each side, and they could hear the distant humming of machinery.

"This is a short cut that should help you get to the wife's place with less chance of a run-in with someone else," Syl said. They started down the hallway as she spoke. "When you get to the end, wait to come out until you hear the two soldier guards reporting. Then make a break for it and deal with them. Sandeman's wife should be through the door they're guarding. "

"How do you know they're going to report in?" Krit asked.

"'Cause I'm not an idiot, Krit," Syl said. She sighed audibly. "I've been keeping track of them since you guys went down in the tunnel. They report in every 15 minutes. It means waiting a little bit, but best to give yourself as much time as possible before anyone's realized she's escaped."

"Good idea," Seth said with approval. "Of course, I guess that means they'll realize something's wrong after fifteen minutes?"

"Yup," Syl confirmed, "so you guys better move quickly unless one of you was made for voice imitation." They all looked at each other; unfortunately, none of them was. It looked like it was going to have to be a quick escape.

Krit sighed. "They obviously have too much time on their hands if they're reporting in every fifteen minutes."

"Definitely," Robin agreed.

When they got to the edge of the hallway, they ducked into an empty, off-shoot hallway to wait for the fifteen minutes to be up. Since there were no cameras angled toward them and no one was watching for normalcy, they stayed as still and silent as possible, mentally preparing themselves for the fight that was coming up. Adrenaline coursed through their systems and kept them from losing their battle focus.

When the fifteen minutes were up, Syl let them know when the soldiers had finished reporting in. "Okay guys, time to go. Good luck." There was a pause and then a very quiet, "Krit, watch your ass."

Krit grinned and whispered back, "Good to know you care."

"I don't. I just like your ass."

Cutting the exchange short since there was a seriously lack of time, Seth silently signaled a begin-attack. All three transgenics sprang from the empty corridor, shoved their way through the two swinging doors and surprised the two guards with a flurry of punches and kicks and a flying tackle from Seth.

Within a few minutes, they had the two guards on the ground, unconscious from multiple blows to the head, neck and spinal column. Robin rubbed her shoulder where one of the guards had almost popped her arm out of the socket. Seth looked at her in concern, but she shook her head and grinned at him. She had been through worse back in her bodyguard days at Manticore. Back then, she was good to get away with just one bullet hole in her. A wrenched shoulder was pretty tame compared to that.

Krit nudged out of the men with the toe of his boots. "He's out." He knocked his heel against the guard's nose. "Night, sucker."

"Stop harassing the unconscious guys," Syl said. "You're almost there. The next lock is complicated."

"I've got it, and what? You'd probably kick them in the face," Krit grumbled as he walked over to the lock. Robin raised an eyebrow as he approached the door.

"Why don't we just knock?" she asked, "Shouldn't she be used to that?"

"You think she's just going to open the door for us?" Krit asked, glancing at her incredulously.

"It's possible," Robin said, "At least then we won't alert anyone by breaking their passcode."

Seth shook his head. "If they don't usually knock, then she'll know something's wrong."

"But-"

"Hey, no time for this," Syl hissed over their headsets. "Krit, break it open or Robin, knock. One or the other."

Robin and Krit looked at Seth, and he held up his hands. "Robin, try it your way, and Krit, get to work on the door. If she doesn't open it, we'll still get in."

"Good, go," Syl said, rushing them.

While Krit sped over to the keypad, Robin approached the door, Seth right behind her, holding one of the guards gun. Without hesitating, she knocked on the steel door and took a step back. She glanced at Seth, but his face was set in a hard mask of business. Seemed like you never could quite get "soldier" out of your system.

Krit was halfway through the passcode override when the door slide open, disappearing into the wall. A thin, wrinkled woman with a long white braid stood in the doorway, a half-smile on her face. Clear blue eyes stared at them, looking over each of them from over a ski-slope nose.

"I wondered when you were coming."

Krit looked up from the keypad, mouth open in astonishment. The knock had worked. And the old woman had been expecting them?

"Did anyone else expect us to come?" Seth asked quickly, getting down to business.

The woman shook her head and moved back into her apartment. "I'm just getting my emergency travel bag," she assured them as they all gave each other concerned looks. "And to answer your question, no. Well, my husband knew, but we didn't tell anyone else here."

Robin followed her in, anxious to keep the old woman in her sight. Her bodyguard instincts were taking over. The woman gave Robin a bemused look as if she knew exactly what Robin was doing, but she didn't say anything.

Robin looked around curiously; they passed a few rooms at the front that looked like general lab rooms, and then a couple small hallways branched off from the main one, leading to closed doors. At the back of the suite seemed to be all the living quarters. The woman knelt and hauled a bag out of a closet.

"All right, this is it," she said, handing the bag to Robin. "You're stronger than me; best if you carry it if we want to make a fast escape."

"I got it," Robin said, smiling at the old woman.

"Do I need to get my husband's things too?" she asked. Robin stared at her for a moment, then realized it was entirely possible that no one had told her that Sandeman was dead.

"Umm, no, I don't think so." Robin didn't think this was the best time to tell her. Maybe when they were safely away and wouldn't have to worry about the woman going into shock.

The woman nodded in acceptance and started to head out.

"Wait, do you have any of Sandeman's notes that might... that might be useful?" She couldn't bring herself to lie and actually specify 'to him.'

"Oh, yes, I suppose so." They went back toward the front of the suite and then took one of the side-branching hallways. The first door led into a spacious office, crammed full of books and binders. Robin almost groaned out loud; how would the woman ever know which ones to take?

But she seemed confident; she headed right toward a shelf behind Sandeman's desk. "This is where John kept all his research related to his important Manticore projects." She knelt and slid her finger along their bindings, pulling out a few folders. "I went through and organized them a few months ago for him, he's such a messy man."

She stood up with an arm full of notebooks. "I believe this will be enough. These are the most updated notebooks."

"Awesome," Robin said, anxious to hurry her out of there. She opened the door for Sandeman's wife and ushered her through.

Krit and Seth's relief was obvious when the two women finally appeared again. They didn't like using up so many of their precious fifteen minutes. "Come on," Seth said anxiously, glancing to either side, "we don't have a lot of time."

"No, you don't," the woman said matter-of-factly. They fell into step with Seth and started back the way they had come. "It would be nice if you would tell me the names you call yourselves, by the way. Since I presume we shall be spending a lot of time together. I'm Marie."

Seth glanced back at her. She obviously had no idea how and the situation could get if she was actually worried about manners right now. "Seth."

"Krit."

"Robin." Robin gave Marie a friendly smile, "And don't worry about anything, Marie. I've been trained as a bodyguard, I'll protect you." She didn't see Seth's look of alarm at that. He really didn't want Robin having to take bullets for anyone today.

"And I'm Syl," Syl said with an annoyed voice into the microphone.

"Well, there's not much point in introducing her to a disembodied voice," Krit said. "She'll meet you when we get back."

"Yeah, well, in about five minutes getting back is going to get a lot harder."

"We're going as fast as we can, sweetheart," Krit hissed into the microphone against his cheek.

Marie glanced at him, her blue eyes amused. "I suppose you have an electronics expert on the outside?"

"No, actually, the electronics expert is right here," Robin said, pointing to Krit, "Syl was hurt earlier this week, so she stayed in the van."

"Can we stop chatting now?" Seth asked abruptly. When Robin frowned at him, he shook his head. "Sorry, but we're still wasting time."

"Why don't you just throw the old lady over your shoulder?" Syl suggested, "You could go faster that way."

"Syl, be serious," Seth said, dropping into a commanding mode. With the introduction of a non-Manticore entity, this mission could easily go awry. "What's the best way out from here?"

"No need to be snappy, Leader-boy," Syl said, "You need to go back exactly the way you came. The soldiers, when they figure out what's going on, will come down a different hallway, but they'll start running building diagnostics and figure out we're looping videos and the like. It won't tale them long to figure out where you're going."

"And why isn't there another way out?" Seth asked even as he headed toward the double doors they had come from. Robin kept close to Marie and Krit flanked the woman's other side. If bullets were going to be flying soon, they didn't need their mission objective taking one in the crossfire.

"Soldiers, soldiers, and more soldiers," Syl said. "Some Red series, some hyped up on normal steroids, and some regular. You don't want to mess with any of them."

"Did I mention that I love my life?" Krit grumbled as they stormed off down the hallway, double-timing even though that forced Marie into a run.

"Life's a precious thing, Krit," Marie said, her voice stern and almost…motherly. "You should be glad for whatever life you have, as long as you get to live."

"Okay, you don't get to talk right now," Krit said, tossing a frown at the white-haired woman. "Especially about quality of life."

"I was just trying-"

Robin patted the woman on the arm. "It's all right, Marie, we can talk later. Seth's right, we need to focus right now." Bodyguard training had also included lessons on how to reassure the person being guarded and how to coerce them into doing what you wanted. Each one was different, but Robin was capable of handling almost any bodyguard-type situation.

Marie sighed and nodded. "I believe you're right. We'll talk once we're out of this mess."

Robin saw Krit roll his eyes at the woman before charging ahead toward the next door. He had stolen a general key card from one of the soldiers who had been guarding Marie's door. Of course, that would alert the security guys that one of their soldiers wasn't where he was supposed to be, but now all that mattered was speed, not caution.

The door clicked and the keypad glowed green as the door slide open to allow them access. They raced through it, Robin and Krit half-carrying Marie as they ran through the hallways. This place was extremely quiet for being a facility; they hardly saw anyone until the sirens started going off.

"Syl?" Seth asked as red lights flashed, bathing the hallway in red lights. Doors started opening and disconcerted scientists and army personnel started entering the hallway. Their small group slowed down to be conspicuous.

"They found the two goons," Syl said, "You better hurry up. They're going to start deploying troops to secure all doors soon."

Seth nodded to Krit and Robin. "Let's get out of here."

They wove in and out of personnel who were evacuating the building, probably in some kind of plan that had been created for this kind of event. Fitting in marginally, they were still noticeable among the other scientists, three people traveling in a group with an older woman. They managed to get to the hallway near to the sewer entrance when they heard stormtrooper boots hitting the ground.

"HALT!" a deep voice roared and most of the scientists stopped, rocking forward even as their foot stuck to the ground. A few kept going, too frightened by all the lights and noises to pay attention to the soldiers.

"Shit," Seth said, scowling. "Keep going." If they didn't keep going, they were just going to be found out anyway. If they were going to be killed, they were going to be killed making an attempt to get out of here.

Following Seth's orders, the little group kept walking as if they hadn't heard the soldier. The sound of safeties being clicked off caught Robin's alert ears.

"I said stop," said the same voice. "Continue walking, and I will shoot you."

"Run," Seth muttered. At the same moment, he grabbed Marie and lifted her in fireman's carry. Krit surged ahead while Robin instinctively took up the rear. All three of them blurred, wind whipping their ears as they blazed forward faster than most humans could see. Bullets started whizzing past them, familiar bees that buzzed in Robin's ears. She tracked each one, making sure none of them were going to hit her teammates or the mission objective.

People were screaming and shouting, and the hall was starting to fill with some kind of smoke as they make a break for the sewer tunnel.

"Guys, don't breathe in that gas. It's an airborne sedative, and a strong one," Syl warned, her voice calm but insistent.

"Marie, hold your breath!" Robin said to the older woman before taking in a lungful of clean air herself. She saw from Marie's face that the woman was already holding her breath; she had probably guessed at the nature of the gas.

When they reached the tunnel exit, Krit was forced to break the code, which put everyone in danger. Their greater speed had put some distance between them and the Red series soldiers, but that didn't mean the Reds weren't going to come around the corner at any moment.

It seemed like hours, but it only took seconds for Krit to find the right override and for the Red series to thunder into the corridor. Robin's highly-trained mind slowed down the action, letting her take in each moment as if it happened in slow motion. Two Reds clunked into the hallway, their massive bodies taking up too much room. Seth was halfway through the door when one of them raised a handgun, his arm muscle rippling as his finger twitched for the trigger.

Robin's adrenaline level spiked, and she jumped forward just as the gun exploded, sending the bullet at Seth and Marie. Her mind subconsciously deducted which limb would be more likely to sustain the impact well and which would be able to take the bullet based on distance from the projected path.

Pain and endorphins hit her when the bullet did. It tore through the muscles her upper arm and embedded near the bone. Luckily it didn't go through and harm Seth or Marie anyways. A euphoric feeling sent her head into a whirl as Krit snatched her by her uninjured arm and yanked her through the open doorway. The door shut behind them, and Krit slammed a fist down on the keypad.

"What the hell, Robin?!" Seth demanded as he set Marie down. He was at her side in a second, examining her shoulder, but she only grinned at him when he prodded the wound.

"Come, let's go, I'm ready, we should go!" Robin babbled, smiling at him. Seth stared at her, but she didn't comprehend the fury on his face.

"Guys, go!" Syl shouted, "Now!"


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!! Thank you especially to nattylovesu, Deanna, Unknown x5, Winchester girl and Sandra for reviewing the last chapter!!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 23

When they arrived back at the house, Alec and Sidda were in no mood to provide lots of explanations to Dalton. The walk back to the house had been…well, hasty. And tense.

"We found a woman that will lead us to Hayden, go watch the house," Alec said roughly as he pulled Sidda toward the staircase. Sidda laughed at him and yanked back on his hand.

"We need to give him the address." She raised her eyebrows as Alec gave her an exasperated look, and then she slipped her hand from his. "Here, Dalton." She strode over to the counter and quickly scrawled the address on a pad of paper there.

Alec moved up behind her while she was writing, and before she could hand it to Dalton, Alec had snatched the paper out from under her hand and started waving it in front of Dalton's face. "Go, now."

Dalton wasn't moving; he had a slightly stunned look on his face. Alec rolled his eyes and lifted Dalton's hand for him, then crushed the paper into it.

"Out," Alec said. He turned Dalton around so that he was facing the door. "Door is that way."

"Wait, wait," Dalton sputtered, coming to life. He turned around and looked from Alec to Sidda, obviously confused, "You're giving me something to do? Something real?"

"Yes, yes, now go," Alec said, making shooing motions at the boy.

Sidda smirked at Alec. "Not effective." She looked back at Dalton. "Carlina is a geneticist in the lab where Hayden works. We want you to keep tabs on her house, and then follow her to work in the morning. Hopefully we can pick up Hayden from there. Oh, and you can riffle through her stuff while you're waiting if you want, just be careful."

"Oh! Ok!" Dalton brightened momentarily at the thought of getting assigned something so important, but then his face immediately clouded up again. "What are you guys doing then?"

"Sleeping," Sidda said quickly before Alec could say something stupid. "We need to catch up."

"Oh, um, yeah," Alec gave a huge, obviously fake yawn. "Really need lots of, um, sleep."

Dalton stared at them both for a moment, his eyes narrowing in suspicious. He shook his head. "You know what, I don't want to know."

Alec rubbed his hands together. "That's right, good boy."

Dalton's head snapped up. "But if you call me that…."

Sidda stepped in front of Alec. "Don't listen to him Dalton, please." She turned and glared at Alec, who raised his hands innocently. "He's being an idiot."

"Well, that's new," Dalton muttered. He grinned as Sidda stopped Alec from lunging around her.

"How long do you want to wait?" Sidda asked, quirking an eyebrow at Alec.

Alec blew air out between his teeth and put his hands behind his head for a second. Then he lowered his arms and shook them out a bit. "Ok. I'm good."

Dalton chuckled. "Give me a call when you're ready for me to come home."

"Or call us if anything important happens," Sidda said, ignoring the annoyed look Alec was giving her.

"Gotchya," Dalton said, "let me go pack some stuff…."

"Gah!" Alec glared at Sidda. Things were not going his way.

"I'll go pack you some food," Sidda called to Dalton as he headed upstairs. She smirked at Alec. "You can either help get him out faster or stand there and grumble like a baby."

In the end, Alec found himself in the kitchen, spreading peanut butter on four PB&J sandwiches.

"Do we even know if the kid likes peanut butter?" Alec asked. "What if he has peanut allergies?"

Sidda laughed. "Show's how much you've been paying attention. Dalton emptied our first peanut butter jar in a couple of days."

"Oh." Alec looked at the peanut butter jar. "I thought that was me." Sidda laughed and took the peanut butter jar from him. She peered into it, and then scooped out some with her finger. "I helped too," she said, slowly licking the peanut butter off of her finger. One side of her mouth twitched up in a smile at the pained look Alec was giving her.

"Dalton!" Alec yelled.

"Coming, coming…" Dalton walked into the kitchen, then stopped and stared wide-eyed at Sidda, who still had her partially peanut butter-covered finger in her mouth. "Ok, sandwiches," he said, grabbing the Ziploc bag. "I'll see you guys later."

They stood there until they heard the door close, and then suddenly both were blurring up the stairs.

"Beat you," Sidda said, laughing as she thunked into the door a second before Alec did.

"Now that just ruins my evening," Alec said, reaching behind her to open the doorknob. They tumbled into the room, and in the same instant Alec's lips were on Sidda's, and then on her face and neck…and Sidda's lips were all over his face as well. They were much less careful and controlled then they had been in the ballroom.

"Mmm, hold on a sec," Sidda said, pulling away from Alec's arms.

"Sidda, I'm always holding on a sec…"

"I was just closing the door," she said, pushing it shut. Sidda grinned as she returned and wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling herself close to his chest. "You're so impatient."

"On the contrary, I think I've been quite patient," Alec said before kissing her again.

Sidda smiled and didn't bother responding back. Words didn't really seem necessary anymore.

--------------------------------------------

The next morning, the sun pierced the bedroom windows and danced across Alec's face. He pried one eye open to glare at the open curtains before pulling Sidda closer and burying his face in the back of her neck, entirely unwilling to get up. He grinned, his lips brushing her neck, as she pressed her cheek into his arm and tightened her grip on his left hand. Wild and sarcastic while she was awake, she was actually sort of innocent in her sleep. His firecracker shortie with a peaceful side. Keyword: his.

He let her sleep as he breathed in the smell of her shampoo and drifted between awake and asleep. Lazily, he tapped his fingertips against her arms as if playing a lullaby on the piano. Truthfully he wouldn't mind spending the rest of the morning here…especially if Sidda woke up and felt the same way.

The sun climbed higher for at least fifteen minutes before Sidda stirred again. She must have decided the sun was annoying because she turned over and pressing herself against his chest. "Hmm, make it go away?"

Alec smirked and locked his arms around her. "Yeah, sure, I'll just tell the big ball of burning gas that you'd like it to back off. Would that make you happier?"

"Much," she murmured. Her lips were soft against his skin, and her short hair tickled his arms. Oh, yeah, he could definitely stay in bed for the rest of the day.

He rolled onto his back and pulled her with him so she was lying on his chest, her arms resting against him. She only mumbled something and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. Last night had been a _long _night.

They laid there peacefully for a few minutes before a cell phone started vibrating. Sidda opened one eye and glared accusingly at Alec. "That's your phone."

"Nuh-uh," he replied, refusing to move.

"Yes it is. My phone's vibrate is different."

"Can't we just ignore it?" Alec said. He played with the ends of her hair. "It's probably just Dalton, bored or something. Or Logan. We can definitely ignore Logan."

Sidda snickered into his chest. "No, lover, it's the nightingale, not the lark."

"What?"

"Shakespeare, summarized," she said, propping her elbows up on his chest. "Don't you read anything?"

"Street signs, sometimes. Oh, and food wrappers," he replied, smirking at her, "And sometimes, when the sound on the TV stops working, I read closed captioning."

"Well, that's quality literature right there," she said. "Good to know I sleep with illiterate men." She rolled over and hugged her pillow instead of him. "Go get the phone."

"Leave it. And I can read," he said. He drew his finger across her bare back, making her shiver. "I just don't see the point when there are other things to do."

"Reading can be quite satisfying," Sidda replied, but her sentence trailed off into a rough purr as she arched her back with pleasure. A bright red blush spread across her cheeks, and she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh. Didn't know I could do that."

"I did. I've heard you do it before. Last night."

"More than once?"

"More than once," he replied, grinning at her.

She whacked him in the shoulder. "The phone?"

"It can wait," he said, reaching for her even as she rolled away, "I wanna hear you purr again."

"Aleeccc." She propped herself up on her elbows and pouted at him. "Please? What if he's hurt?"

"And what if he wants another sandwich?" he replied, "He's a big boy, Sid, he can take care of himself."

"Fine, I'll go get the phone and save him from certain death." She slid out of the bed, taking the wrinkled silk sheet with her like a strapless gown. Alec smirked as she knelt down and riffled through the pockets on his discarded pants.

"Can't you wait until I'm in them again before doing that?" he asked.

She tossed the vibrating phone at his head and grinned. "Now that wouldn't be proper at all."

"Everything you did last night wasn't proper," he replied, frowning down at the phone. Yep, Dalton's number. The kid was doing everything he could to get on Alec's bad side. He ignored the phone as Sidda crawled back into bed, still holding the sheet bunched in her fist.

"And you enjoyed it, didn't you?" she said, lying down next to him. "Now, answer the phone, honeybunch, pookie-pie, pumpkin-face."

"Woman…" He flipping the phone open and watched Sidda cuddle the pillow. Why couldn't he be the pillow?

"Hello, Alec? You there, man?"

"Dalton, if you're not dying or about to be in such a state of being, I'm hanging up."

"No, dude, it's important!"

----------------------------------------

Alec sighed; he hated rooftop-crouching more than anything. No matter how precisely Manticore had made his body, nothing stopped his legs from falling asleep or having cramps.

"We could just leave Dalton here again." Alec said, looking at Sidda hopefully. This morning Dalton had called them when Carlina had left for work. Alec had tried to persuade Sidda that they didn't need to join up with Dalton to simply tail a non-target, but Sidda had insisted. She wanted to grab Hayden the first chance they had and get back to Terminal City. Alec wasn't sure he liked that plan so much; Italy had recently turned out to be a lot nicer than he had expected it to be.

"No, we can't just leave Dalton," Sidda said, rolling her eyes. She shifted so that her legs were splayed out in front of her. "We don't want to botch this."

"I like how you guys assume I can't do this alone," Dalton muttered. He glared at Sidda. "This guy is just a normal human, you know."

"Yeah, a normal human who probably knows about every strength and weakness we might have and has probably guarded himself for years against Manticore coming after him." Sidda shook her head. "No, thank you. I'd rather not take my chances with him."

"What time is it again?" Alec asked. He leaned back against the wall of the building behind them and closed his eyes. If they had an hour or two before the normal time most people finished work, he could definitely catch a nap.

"What, they didn't build you with an internal clock?" Sidda asked.

"Too lazy to use it," he replied, grinning. His eyes were still closed, but he heard the hand coming. He laughed and caught it before it hit his shoulder. "Calm down. I know sitting on a rooftop ruins people's moods, but still…"

Sidda sighed and relaxed her hand. "It's four," she said, settling back into the shade next to Alec.

"We better hope this guy isn't a workaholic," Dalton said glumly, propping his chin on his knees. "It would suck if he was one of those people that sleeps in the lab or something."

"Well, in that case we'll just go in after everyone else leaves," Alec said with a shrug. "Their security system can't be that hard to crack."

Dalton suddenly sat up right, and he pushed Alec's shoulder.

"Dalton, what the—"

"Look guys!" Dalton scooted over to the edge of the roof, suddenly making Sidda nervous. Even though Dalton was transgenic, she wasn't sure she entirely trusted him on roof edges. After all, he didn't have as much cat DNA as the X5 series.

Sidda moved over next to Dalton, discreetly grabbing a bit of his coat, just in case. "What?" she asked, scanning the building.

Dalton pointed to a nondescript door. "There's someone coming out, and it's a guy…" Dalton looked at Sidda hopefully. "Is that our guy? Maybe he's not a workaholic?"

Sidda was startled. The badge he was wearing did identify him as Hayden, but his looks…

"Sidda, that's not Hayden, is it?" Alec was looking at her, just as confused as she was. "Isn't that the guy from the photos at the farm?"

"Barker…" Sidda whipped around, forgetting that she had a hold on Dalton's jacket. She almost accidentally shoved him off the roof, but luckily Dalton was more stable than she had thought. He grabbed her arm and shifted his body so that she could pull him back to safety.

"Sorry about that," she muttered.

Dalton shook his head and pulled her hand from his jacket. "Thanks, Sidda, but next time let me know when you're trying to look after me by killing me, ok?"

Sidda grinned. "Got it." She looked at Alec. "It all makes sense now though."

"I'm glad it makes sense to somebody, 'cause I sure don't get it yet."

"The postcard," Sidda said impatiently. "Barker is Hayden… he faked his own death and went to Italy. Manticore probably tracked him down and put him in their target records as Hayden and didn't bother to put any explanations about past identities in there with it."

"I guess so." Alec looked at the man again, who seemed to be taking a smoking break. "Manticore always was bad about sharing out info."

"Let's grab him now!" Dalton urged them. He was practically rocking with impatience. "We don't know when we'll get another chance!"

"Dalton, we can't. They would figure out pretty soon…" Sidda trailed off. Well, there was no point in waiting anymore. Barker/Hayden had heard Dalton and was looking directly at them. Damn, they were stupid.

"Come on," Sidda said, noticing Hayden reaching into his jacket pocket. She quickly jumped off the roof without waiting for a response, landing in a graceful half-crouch. Maybe she could disarm Hayden before he got to whatever he carried in his jacket for self-defense.

Hayden was faster than she expected for an old scientists. Sidda had to dodge two bullets before she reached him. As she tore the gun out of his hand, she heard Alec cursing.

"Damn it, I can't jump and dodge at the same time," Alec muttered, coming up to help Sidda. She was busy holding Hayden's arms with one hand and stuffing cloth into his mouth with the other. He relieved her of Hayden's arms, and she glanced over at him. The bullet had grazed his bicep; he'd almost missed it.

Dalton picked up the gun and admired it. "Wow, silencer and everything." He gave Hayden a sympathetic look. "Too bad. If it had made a sound, maybe someone would've come to help you."

Sidda rolled her eyes. It was a good thing for them that Hayden had a silencer on the gun.

Hayden glared at Dalton, but he knew better than to fight the transgenics. At least they wouldn't have to deal with that. "Dalton, can you go steal a car?" Alec asked.

"I'm not allowed to drive."

"Dalton!" Sidda turned and gave him an exasperated look, "When have we ever cared about the law? Just make sure you don't steal one with a car alarm."

"Maybe you better go with him," Alec suggested.

"No, I don't need you," Dalton said, edging away, "I can drive…"

"Yeah, but how many times have you stolen a car without having any tools for it?" Sidda made sure Alec had a secure hold of Hayden, then caught up with Dalton. "Come on, I have a feeling we're going to have to search a bit to find that car." She ruffled his hair. 'We can split up for that part at least."

"Oh, thanks for making me feel like a big boy," Dalton said dryly.

Sidda grinned at him. "Always welcome."

When they returned twenty minutes later with a four-door nondescript red car, they found Alec sitting on Hayden.

"He apparently thought he could overpower one transgenic," Alec said, glancing down at the geneticist whose face was turning a strange purple-red color. "I got tired of putting up with his struggling. This was much easier."

"You're lucky no one came along," Sidda said, helping Alec to bundle Hayden into the car. She sat in the back with the geneticist and then let Dalton sit up front with Alec. As soon as his arms were secured, Sidda turned to him.

"I'm going to take your gag out in a minute, but I wanted to talk to you first so we don't have to deal with a bunch of useless yelling. We're from Manticore, yes, but we're not with Manticore anymore. Manticore's been destroyed, so you're safe from them. But we need your help. We're bringing you back simply to help us on a project, and then we'll let you go. If you cooperate. If you don't….well, I'm sure you can imagine what will happen. We really aren't in the mood for taking 'no' for an answer."

From up front, Alec whistled. "Damn, Sidda."

Sidda grinned at him. "Just telling him what's what." She pulled the gag out of Hayden's mouth and he choked and sputtered a bit in a slightly overdramatic way.

"Good now?" Sidda asked, leaning back in the seat.

He glared at her. "Well, obviously I don't have much of a choice about that, do I?"

"Nope, not really," Dalton said cheerfully. He had turned around in his seat so that he could see Hayden better. "Sidda's right. You won't like her when she's mad." He glanced at her. "It sorta sucks. I know."

"Of course it sucks." Hayden shifted a bit, trying to make himself comfortable in the car. He was kind of sad to look at. Past middle age, he was mostly bald except for some wispy brown-gray hair at the back of his head. He wore thick-framed glasses as if he'd never got the memo about contacts. He was slightly on the pudgy side, and his shirt was clinging to him with sweat. He was obviously nervous, despite his attempted air of calm. He looked at Sidda out of the corner of his eyes. "We didn't exactly create you guys to be diplomatic."

"Nope." Sidda grinned widely, knowing that at the moment she probably looked like a hungry tiger to him. "I hope you're okay with flying."

Hayden sighed. "Back to the US… so which city you kids living in? LA? Seattle?"

Sidda glanced at Alec through the rear-view mirror. He shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he said. "If he really wanted to know, it wouldn't be that hard to find out." Alec looked over his shoulder. "I can tell you've been keeping up with the times. Most of us are in Seattle now."

Hayden shrugged. "I didn't exactly want to keep up connections with my old life, if you know what I mean. Staying away from you people was at the top of my list."

"Oh yeah, because pretending something doesn't exist is going to make it go away." Alec shook his head and muttered something that sounded like "idiot."

"Well, pretending I didn't exist helped," Hayden said.

"Not really." Sidda sighed; scientists could have so little common sense sometimes. "Manticore had you on their list. They just never got around to you before they were taken out. You just got lucky."

Hayden blinked, then turned and looked out the window. "So you're going to drag me through the airport with my hands behind my back?" he asked.

"Of course not," Sidda said. "You're going to come along with us nicely and be our dear uncle Bobby."

"Always wanted nieces and nephews," Hayden said sarcastically.

"Glad to know we're making your wishes come true," Alec said.

----------------------------------------

As they approached the van at a run, Syl flung open the back door to let them in. "Hurry!" she snapped as Krit launched himself past her and went straight for the driver's seat. "They're already turning Reds out onto the streets."

Seth helped Marie into the van by picking her up and thrusting her inside. She tossed him an amused look when he climbed in after her. "I'm quite capable of getting into a van by myself, you know."

He chose not to answer her and instead turned back toward Robin. Her right arm was soaked in blood, but she still had an ecstatic smile on her face. It twisted his stomach to see her so happy about getting shot. He reached out to help her into the van, but she sprang up beside him and grinned.

"Don't look so worried, Seth," she told him, tsking, "It makes your nose crinkle up."

"Robin…" he started but he could tell that it would be useless to argue with her in this state. Damn Manticore. Before he could even take a good look at her wound, she bounced over to Taylor's carrier and started cooing to the baby.

"Seth, get the door, let's go!" Krit said. Seth slammed the door shut and off they went at a steady pace so as not to draw suspicion.

"This is a little unorthodox," Maria said as she settled down into the space behind the driver's seat.

Syl tossed her a look from the passenger's seat. "You're the objective? Seriously?"

"Disappointed?" Maria asked, "I would think that my husband would have warned you that I'm not much to look at." She smiled as if she had just told a joke. Syl gave Krit an incredulous look and started to tell Maria about how the last time she had seen Maria's husband was when he was on the TV with his brains blown out, but then she saw Krit shake his head. Maria didn't know, and that's how it was going to stay for now. Syl nodded and then slumped back into the passenger seat, her arms crossed over her chest.

Seth stepped over to Robin and crouched down beside her. "Robin, can I take a look at your arm?"

"Yeah, sure, but I feel fine, great, really," she said, grinning brightly at him, "Here, look all you want." She leaned toward him as he pressed his fingertips gently against the edge of the wound. The bullet had done some substantial tissue damage, and the wound was still bleeding. Not to mention the damn bullet was still in there somewhere.

"I need to get the bullet out, but I can't really do that in the van," Seth said, looking up at Robin, "I'll do it when we get to the airport, all right?"

"Whatever you say, Seth. You're cute, you know," she said with a girlish giggle.

"Robin…" Seth shook his head. The Robin he knew was hidden somewhere behind a wall of hardened Manticore training that had been reinforced over a lifetime. Sighing, he reached into Taylor's diaper bag and pulled out one of her baby blankets. Taylor gurgled and reached out one chubby hand toward the blanket as Seth ripped it into strips to wrap around Robin's arm.

------------------------------------------

"Dump the van, dump the van…" Krit tore through the van, tearing out wires and smashing computers, "Syl, check the CD drives, will you? I might have left a few."

Syl grinned over at Krit; ditching the surveillance vehicle was always one of her favorite parts, and one of Krit's most painful. He moaned and muttered the whole time he was destroying evidence while Syl gleefully broke and tore through the only true rival she had for Krit's affections. Not that machinery really was any sort of rival. But she certainly spent a lot more time with it than she liked to because of Krit, and she never minding having her vengeance on those awful pieces of equipment that seemed determined to crash as soon as Krit left the area.

While they were destroying the van, Seth was inside the airport buying tickets on the first plane to leave the airport. He wasn't very happy at the moment: Robin was still in ecstasy over her fairly serious wound, Taylor was starting to get a little fussy and they weren't even on the plane yet, and who knew what was going on with Syl and Krit. They could've been attacked by Reds already. To make matters worse, the first plane out of Cape Town was going to Johannesburg. Still in South Africa and definitely not far enough away.

"When's the next one that leaves the country?" Seth asked anxiously, glancing at Robin again. He really needed to get that bullet out…

"Well…" the man frowned down at his computer, "There's one to London in an hour, but you won't be able to have your whole party sit together."

"I'll take it," Seth said quickly, sliding one of his credit cards across the desk.

Poor credit card company; they wouldn't be happy with him later.

"Got the tickets," Seth said when he returned to Robin, Marie, and Taylor. He glanced at Robin. "We have about an hour; I need to get that bullet out of you before we get on the plane."

"I'll watch the baby," Marie said brightly. "We can wait for Syl and Krit here while you take care of Robin."

Seth was uneasy about leaving the baby with Marie, but Robin was all for it in her current bubbly state, and he had to take advantage of that. The pain would be a lot easier on her right now.

"Ok, we'll be right back," Seth promised, looking Marie sternly in the eye. He didn't want her to get any ideas about trying to leave.

"What if someone comes after her?" Robin suddenly asked worriedly, "What if I'm not here to protect her?"

Before Seth could say anything, Marie answered for herself. "I'll be fine, I promise. They wouldn't come after me in such a public place."

"Oh, yes, they would," Robin said, folding her arms. She wasn't budging anymore. "We'll wait until Syl and Krit get here," she told Seth firmly.

Seth sighed and pulled out the second-to-last disposable cell phone. He might as well text them, it was about time they finish up.

But just then the two walked in the door, Krit dragging and looking rather depressed, Syl practically bouncing as she walked.

Both groups waved at each other across the ticketing area and they started heading toward the security check.

"Here're your tickets," Seth passed them out. "As soon as we get through security I'm going to leave you two to watch Marie while I clean up Robin's would. If you guys don't mind."

"Nope, not at all," Syl said. She glanced at Krit and then elbowed him.

"Um, yeah, sure, fine," Krit said.

Robin smiled at Krit. "At least it wasn't really great equipment Krit. Your stuff at TC is much nicer."

"I know, but it was like they were my babies," Krit said, shoving the toe of his shoe against the carpet. "I raised them from nothing, turned them into something useful, and then I murdered them. It was so cruel…"

"Oh, get over it," Syl said. She grabbed his elbow and pulled him toward the baggage check. "You have your life, you have your home back in the States, your friends…and you have me. And that better be enough." Her eyes flashed dangerously as she said the latter.

"Well yeah," Krit said, pulling out of his momentary depression, "But do you have any idea what—" Their fussing continued as they took off their shoes and went through security.

Marie looked confused. "Why is she fighting with him like that? The poor boy, that's no way to make him feel better."

"Yeah, it is," Seth said, "You know things are good with them when those two are bickering." He took off his shoes and then picked up Taylor from her baby carrier so that it could go through the X-ray.

"Yup," Robin agreed happily. She pushed Marie ahead of her in line so that she could keep her eye on her. "We're more worried when they're not arguing. It's actually kind of fun."

"Oh." Marie didn't seem very convinced, but there was no more time for explanations. The farther into the airport they got, the less likely the Reds would be able to catch them. And Seth still needed time to see if he could take care of Robin's bullet. Hopefully it wouldn't turn out to be buried too deep.

----------------------------------

After passing through security and customs, Seth convinced Robin to leave Marie and Taylor with Syl and Krit by swearing that they wouldn't let Marie out of their sight. Robin followed him with a dreamy, half-aware look to a staff bathroom that was hidden down one of the many obscure corridors in the airport.

"This says staff. Are we supposed to be back here?" she asked as he opened the door and ushered her inside and locked the door behind them.

"No, but I don't exactly want to perform minor surgery in a public restroom," Seth replied. He was starting to wonder when exactly this euphoric state was going to wear off; for now it was a good thing since hopefully it would take away most of the pain, but he was starting to miss clear-headed, normal Robin.

"Good idea," Robin said, flashing him a smile.

Seth walked over to the sink and started running hot water. He had been surprised when the bullet hadn't set off the metal detectors, but then again, it was a small piece of metal and it was buried behind layers of skin.

"So, how do we get the bullet out?" Robin asked, "You don't have a knife, do you?"

"Actually, yeah, I do," Seth said. He reached down and pulled something short and compact out of his boot. He pressed a nearly invisible switch on the side, and a thin blade flicked out. He handed it to Robin. "Be careful, it's razor sharp. Run it under the hot water, please."

"What's it made out of?" she asked as she stepped toward the sink.

"Extremely hard plastic," he replied, "Manticore created these just before we broke out. I guess your unit hadn't gotten them yet." He walked over and pulled a handful of paper towels out of the dispenser. Robin's wound had stopped bleeding but having to slice into her shoulder to get the bullet out was going to make it start again. He put some towels down on the counter before turning back to Robin.

"Never seen one, but it's really cool," Robin said as she ran it under the hot water.

A half-smile scrawled across Seth's face. "Maybe we can find you one back at TC."

Robin turned her head and grinned at him. "I might like that."

"I'll ask around when we get back." He held out his hand, and she gave him the knife. Taking a deep breath, he looked her in the eyes, dark blue against light blue. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead, Seth," Robin said, tossing her ponytail. She pulled off her shirt to give him easier access to the wound and smirked at him. "I know you've done this a hundred times, so go for it."

"It's going to hurt," he said. The knife hovered over her bare skin, and he put his hand on her shoulder. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, but when I'm like this, I won't feel it," she said. She winked at him. "So don't worry about it, love. Just get it over with before the high wears off. I've been through this before."

Seth gritted his teeth. He didn't want to think about that. "All right, hold still." She gripped the edge of sink and became statuesque as the knife glided through the edges of the wound, widening it for easier access to the bullet. Seth expected her to at least shudder as the tip of the knife hit the bullet, but she didn't move. A thin rivulet of blood slid down from the wound and over her arm.

"Find it yet?" she asked, her voice breathy but still amused.

"Yeah," he said, "It's lodged in pretty deep." The knife twisted around the bullet as Seth tried to dig it out. "Sorry."

"Can't really feel it," Robin replied, "Extra endorphins and everything, you know?"

"Must be nice," Seth muttered. He maneuvered the knife around the bullet and tried to avoid damaging Robin's muscles or bones. She would heal, of course, but he would be damned before he negligently did more damage than what had already been done. Slippery with blood, the bullet popped out of Robin's shoulder and landed in the sink. Seth snatched up a handful of paper towels and pressed them to her shoulder. "I had to leave the med-kit in the luggage or I would sew this up."

"It's okay," Robin said. She leaned against him, her bare skin pressed against his chest. "Thanks, Seth. You're amazing."

"I'm just the strategist," he said, shaking his head, "You're the one doing things like jumping in front of bullets."

"That's stupidity and conditioning, love," she said. She rested her head against his shoulder and pressed her lips against his neck in a gentle kiss.

"And that's all I am too," he said, laying his cheek against her hair. "And we're going to work on your need to guard others by getting yourself killed, okay?"

"Mhmm," Robin said, half-sleepy as her forehead rested in the crook of his neck. He guessed that the adrenalin she had been running on for the past few hours had finally worn off. Sighing, he kissed her forehead and held her for a few moments, his right hand threaded in her hair while the other wrapped around her waist. Eventually he reluctantly handing her her shirt. Boarding for the flight to England was in about fifteen minutes, and he wanted to make sure they made it to the terminal on time. Maybe Robin would sleep the whole way there. He would get her proper medical attention when they got back to the States.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I finished this part of the story, and I'm now working on Part 2 of the Trilogy.  Thanks for sticking with me, everyone, and the last few chapters will be updated this week.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO: Marcus Sylenus, Alexa, Kay, Dark Rose, Tina, Grace, x5 416, Jess, Stargate fan, 452max and Calli! You'll have to forgive for being so slack with updating, but I'm going to give you all extra chapters this week to make up for it!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 24

It was raining in Seattle, and personally, Robin had never been happier to see a grey, cloudy sky with buckets pouring from it. There had been no time to call anyone between running around through European and American airports, booking flights under stolen foreign credit cards and flying, so by the time they got to the Portland airport there had been no transportation waiting to take them back to Seattle and Terminal City.

Syl had put her eclectic skills to use, and they drove a hot-wired suburban back to the city. The sector passes that they had used before got them through the gates, and Logan had had the foresight to get them an extra one for Marie.

In the back seat of the suburban, Taylor was secure and asleep in her carrier, so Robin had a few moments off from being a mom and a super-soldier. She leaned against the door, exhausted. She had used up the last of her energy taking out the determined tail that had followed them from South Africa. He had been discreet until he tried to attack them in an airport in Northern France. After he had revealed himself, he had been quickly dispatched by the bruised, tired and very pissed X5s; obviously he should have brought some back-up.

She blinked as Marie leaned over and patted her knee. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"

"Mhmm," she said, nodding obligingly. She was just mindlessly worn out and in a bit of pain. She had been through worse. Compared to that Alaskan job involving the rescue of the British Prime Minister a couple years back, she was wonderful at the moment.

Seth turned around from the front passenger seat to give her a worried glance. She smiled at him and looked out the window, at the city. He was still worried about her, which was cute and made her feel warmer.

Since the rain was keeping any anti-transgenic protestors indoors, they drove the suburban to the back gate instead of leaving it parked a few streets over and walking to T.C.

Krit, who was driving, cleared his throat. "Oh, not good."

Robin and Syl lifted their heads and glanced at each other across Marie.

"What's wrong?" Syl asked, leaning forward so that she was between the two front seats. Robin sat up and peered around Seth's seat. In front of the gate, there was a makeshift guardhouse, just a singlewide white trailer, and a guard standing outside of it, standing at attention.

"Looks like the sector police have decided to set up shop outside of Terminal City," Krit said. He slowed the car down and approached the gate at a crawl. He shot a look at Seth. "Do you think Max would let them do that?"

"She mentioned something about trying to work with the government when I was talking with her the other day," Seth said, "It could be a cooperative effort."

Krit stopped the car. They had attracted the attention of some of the people in the guardhouse. Already, two people, the man on guard and another soldier, this one a woman, were walking cautiously toward the car. They were both carrying semi-automatics in their hands. From the way they were walking, Robin could tell they were not from Manticore; they were not graceful enough.

"I think we should go," Syl said. She reached forward and squeezed Krit's shoulder. "Let's go. We can call Max from a pay phone or something and make sure we know what's going on."

Robin sighed. All she wanted to do was go home. "Can't we at least see what they want first?"

"You wanna get shot again?" Syl asked, turning to Robin with an incredulous look on her face. "Or are you still on a high?"

"No, but I don't want to jump to conclusions either," Robin said. "I mean, we haven't heard anything in the news about the government taking control of Terminal City."

"Maybe they're keeping it under wraps," Syl proposed.

"Well, we need to make a decision soon," Krit said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, "'Cause those guys aren't beating a retreat any time soon."

"Seth…" Robin said. She looked over at him. He was rubbing the scruff on his chin and staring at the two guards.

"I'm not sure, but I think we should play it safe and fall back," he said, "I'd rather not take our chances with these guys."

Robin's heart fell as Krit put the car in reverse. So much for slipping into her nice, warm bed in her own apartment any time soon.

When they started to drive backwards in reverse, the guards ran forward and lowered their guns at the car while more guards poured out of the guardhouse.

"Get out of the car!" one of them shouted over the rain. The woman pulled the trigger twice in rapid succession and suddenly the suburban was minus two wheels.

"Shit!" Krit snapped as he slammed on breaks and the tires squealed. The suburban came to a jolting stop, and in the back, Taylor whimpered as she was woken up.

The guards were immediately on both sides of the car, demanding that the transgenics get out and put their hands above their heads. Robin almost turned around to soothe Taylor, but then she thought that the guards might think she was reaching for a weapon.

"Everyone, stay calm," Seth said, his voice even, "Just do what they say for now."

They got out of the car with their hands up, as if they were criminals instead of soldiers who had successfully completed their mission. Three of the guards lowered their gun on them while two others started patting them down. Meanwhile, they tried to claim their innocence, saying they were just lost, they hadn't been to this part of town, they were sorry. No one answered them. Robin was put off by the annoyingly quiet and efficient guards. They weren't like the belligerent sector police and their weapons looked a lot newer.

While they tried to explain themselves, one of the male guards walked up to Robin and attempted to pull her hair to the side so he could get a good look at her neck. Startled, Robin blocked his hand and then punched him, her fist connecting with his nose. There was a satisfying crunch. He wheeled backward as blood dripped down his face.

"Damn it, you bitch!" he shouted, reaching for the gun that he had handed to one of the other guards. A female guard, the one that had been the first out of the guardhouse, put her hand on his arm. She was staring at them as if trying to remember something important.

"No, wait, Johnson. I think this is one of the groups that we were told to look out for," said the woman. It seemed like she was the one in charge around here. She narrowed her eyes at them. "State your names and designations."

"Really? We really have to go through that?" Syl said, hatred in her voice.

"You want to get shot again?" Robin asked, mimicking Syl's earlier statement. She was feeling particularly snappy at the moment: her shoulder was aching, there were guns pointed at her chest, there were guns pointed at the man who was basically her lover, two of her friends and her mission objective, her baby was crying, and she wasn't being allowed to go home. She was irritated, and she wasn't going to be nice about it.

Robin's irritation startled them enough that they all quickly reported their numbers. Robin usually didn't get moody like this, but she hadn't really fully explained her bodyguard syndrome. It usually came with a sort of crash after the high. She usually needed sleep for proper recuperation then, but she hadn't gotten much while they were on the run.

"Yes, they're the ones," one of the soldiers said, listening to his walkie-talkie. After the confirmation, there was a release of tension, and the soldiers quickly ushered the transgenics through the gates. Robin glanced at Seth; it was nice how apologetic these soldiers were for their earlier treatment of the group.

Once they were through, Seth immediately called up Logan.

"What's up with the gate security?" Seth asked over the cell phone he had been given as they started walking toward the center of T.C. Unfortunately, their two tires being shot flat meant they had to leave the vehicle outside. Which probably meant they weren't going to get it back.

"Wait, you guys are back already?" Logan asked eagerly. The excitement in his voice was pitifully obvious.

"Yeah, sorry, we would've warned you if we'd known you were preparing such a welcoming homecoming." Even Seth was a little irritated. "Those men outside were very gun-happy."

"I told those guards… they're not exactly happy about their job, surprise surprise. It's this whole government thing Max worked out….come by headquarters and I'll fill you in. I'll call Max….should I call Max?" Logan's voice was hesitant.

"Definitely call Max," Seth said. At least that someone would be very happy in a few minutes.

-------------------------------------

Marie looked around with interest as they walked through Terminal City. They were careful to keep to the cleaner streets since Terminal City hadn't exactly been detoxified yet. Letting the area stay a biohazard was sort of a buffer between them and the humans who wanted to exterminate them.

"I find it fascinating that you have set up your own civilization," she said. "John and I always wondered what you would do if you were allowed out of Manticore, if you'd be able to resist your killing nature or not. I must say, I'm rather impressed. I was always more pessimistic, but John….he really does know you best. He predicted something like this. He said that you all had a very good survival instinct and very strong bonds of loyalty. And that those key things would lead to places like this." She looked at them as if wanting verification of her assessment.

"I guess," Krit said uneasily. "We don't really theorize much about why we do what we do."

"Hmm, yes, I know. John and Manticore used to fight about that. John wanted more philosophical instincts in you so that you could come up with creative solutions and think for yourselves." Marie continued on, unaware that they didn't really like hearing about how they were 'created'. "And Manticore, well, that's not what you want in soldiers. Still, he always liked you X5s because he got away with a lot more creativity with you since you were supposed to be leaders."

"Are you guys proud of that?" Syl asked in disbelief. "Of helping to bring about people who will never fit into this world? Who will always have problems just because of who they are?"

Marie laughed. "Dear Syl, don't you know that that's how everyone feels? No one feels like they completely fit in. They always think that who they are creates problems for them, that if they just could be someone else, everything will be better." Marie gave Syl regretful pat on the shoulder. "It's never like that, not really."

Robin moved over closer to Seth, suddenly drained of all her irritation and anger with the guards. She didn't like all this talk about their creation and what their purpose in life was. No matter what Marie said to persuade herself that her and Sandeman's experiments were ok, Robin knew that what they had done was wrong. Maybe no one felt like they fit in, but at least they could pretend like they fit in. Transgenics couldn't, especially if they were like Joshua or Mole. But even the X-series had trouble—usually something about them and their strange fighting capabilities gave them away eventually. And there were always people hunting them, just because of what they were. That happened to humans sometimes too, but not all across the board. Marie may have been hunted and captured by the South Africans, but that had happened because she had chosen to be Sandeman's wife and stick with him in his experiments. Not because she was Marie.

Seth looked at Robin and slipped his hand around hers, as if he understood the comfort she needed. Robin smiled up at him and then pulled Taylor up to kiss her forehead. At least her life was relatively happy right now. Robin didn't think Marie would be so cheerful when she found out her husband was no longer alive.

"This is headquarters," Krit announced for Marie's sake when they got to the building. "It's kind of plain, but we don't care. Pretty much everything we need is on the inside."

"Of course," Mari said, moving faster. She obviously thought she was going to get to see her husband soon….and none of them wanted to tell her she wasn't going to get to. But at least Marie wasn't bringing it up.

"I can't wait to meet Max," Marie chattered as they walked into the building. "John spoke about her so much, she was his pride and joy, his masterpiece, if you permit me to say…"

"No, I don't," Syl muttered. But Marie didn't hear her because she was too busy looking around HQ.

"Seth!" One person called out. "Good to see you back again!"

"Hey Syl, Krit, up for some pool tonight?"

"Hey guys, Logan's been itching to see you…"

They said hi to everyone, and Krit smiled happily as he caught sight of the wall of computers at the far end of the main room. That wasn't even the best technology they had in HQ, but it made him so happy. Being home was absolutely awesome.

Syl grinned as she caught sight of his wandering eyes. "Me or the computers tonight?" she asked him, teasingly.

"Hmmm, decisions, decisions…" he chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm kidding. But…computers tomorrow?"

Syl shook her head. "Wouldn't even try keeping you away longer than that."

"Hey guys!" The group was almost all the way across the room when Max popped in from one of the back doors with Joshua behind her. She almost blurred across the distance between them she moved so fast.

"Marie?" she asked, staring with bright eyes at the woman.

Marie smiled and held out a hand. "You must be Max," she said warmly.

Max was hesitant, but she took the older woman's hand, almost as if she touched Marie, the woman would pop like a soap bubble. "Yeah, um, I am."

"It's so wonderful to finally meet you, dear," she said. She reached up and touched one of Max's curls; Robin had noticed when Max had appeared that she had cut her hair while they were gone. Now it lay in dark, loose curls around her shoulders, making Max look softer than she had with long, straight hair. Max stood perfectly still as Marie caressed her hair like a mother would. "So beautiful. Genetically perfect in every way."

"Yeah, Max is the transgenic version of Mary Poppins," said Krit. The joke was lost on the Manticore alums who didn't have a thing for old movies, but he got a couple chuckles and that was all he really needed.

Max stepped back and brushed the curl behind her shoulder. "Um, welcome to Terminal City."

"Thank you," Marie said in return, "It's been most eventful, getting here. I don't believe I've seen that much action since watching the last James Bond with that nice Daniel Craig fellow." She tittered, a whispery laugh that sounded almost like a giggle.

Max was about to reply when Joshua swooped in and caught Marie in a giant dog-man hug. "Mother! So sorry for Father, so sorry." He gave a high-pitched whine and hugged her tighter.

Marie patted Joshua on the back but looked past him at Max, her eyes questioning. "Oh, Joshua? Joshua, darling, John always spoke so highly of you…don't cry, dear."

Max stared at Seth, and he shook his head. No, they hadn't told Marie. Oh. Oh no.

"But Father!" Joshua said, leaning back from Marie for a moment. "Father…" New tears for an old hurt dripped down his cheeks.

Marie stepped away from Joshua, her hands raised, confusion and cold realization on her face. "What about John?" She looked around, searching desperately among the transgenic faces for her husband's familiar face. "Where is he?"

"If she has a psychotic break, it's so not my fault," Syl hissed at Krit at a decibel Marie could not hear. Krit flashed her a disapproving look, but she ignored him.

"Marie, we were going to tell you, but there wasn't any time," Robin said carefully, keeping her voice even. She had been in these precarious situations before with other people she had guarded. One person survives, the other doesn't. The survivor never took it well.

"Tell me what?" Marie's hands trembled as she lifted them to her mouth. She stared at Robin, then Seth before looking back at Joshua and Max. "Tell me what?!"

"Marie…Sandeman, um, John…" Max started, but she couldn't finish, not with Marie staring at her like that.

Marie shook her head, slowly at first and then faster. "No. No!" She stepped back further, as if she was going to bolt. Robin walked over to her and touched her on the shoulder, but Marie shrugged her off and held up her hands again as if she couldn't handle the subject.

"My John…" she whispered. She was visibly shaking. "How...when…I don't…"

Max held both of Marie's hands in her own, trying to convey her sympathy. "We never got to see him, Marie. He was assassinated right after he got to Seattle. I'm so sorry."

Marie moaned, and Joshua cut through Max to wrap his arms around Marie. "I take Mother to my place," he told Max firmly. He stroked Marie's hair gently. "I make Mother better."

Max seemed uncertain…she obviously wanted to talk to Marie. But unfortunately, Marie was definitely not in a condition right now that was conducive to talking. Her eyes were glazed and distant, and she wasn't paying attention to anything going on around her.

"It's probably best for her right now," Robin suggested to Max. "We've still got the notes and stuff… we can start with those, Max, while we wait for Marie to recover."

"You're right…of course. I…Joshua, yes, please…let us know if she needs anything, ok?"

Joshua nodded. "I take care of Mother." He led her off, away from the group.

Seth shifted uncomfortably and looked at Max. "I guess we should have told her sooner, but we were afraid she'd go into a state like that while we were on the run. And then we were hoping you'd get a chance to talk to her before…" He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at Joshua and Marie, who were just going out the door. "Well, we just didn't seem to have much choice."

"No, it's ok," Max said, wrapping her arms around herself for a moment. "I understand. Come on, we'll take those papers to Logan. He's been cooped up in the office all day guiding one of our teams through a meeting with the government." She started leading them back toward Logan's office.

Syl looked at her curiously. "Meeting with the government?" She frowned. "Since when do we meet with the government?"

"Does that have something to do with those retarded guards at the gate?" Krit asked. He was still slightly annoyed at having to leave the car out there.

"Yes, it does…sorry about that," Max said, "We're gonna have to have a talk with them about just how much power those thugs have."

"Why do we have thugs anyway?" Seth asked. "Aren't we pretty good at guarding our border?"

Max sighed. "Well, we are, but this does lighten the load a bit… they take care of the normal people so that we only have to watch out for the truly dangerous guys, and it makes getting in and out easier. We kind of had to accept them, too, because the government thought that offering them was a gesture of good faith." She smirked at Seth. "We didn't want to hurt their feelings."

"I'm still not understanding…" Robin said slowly.

Max turned to look at her as she pushed the door to Logan's office open. "It's kind of a long story..."

"Hey guys!" Logan said promptly, quickly standing up from behind his desk. His eyes searched their group eagerly, and then the light dimmed a little in them. "Sandeman's wife?"

"Erm…" Seth glanced at Max, who had the grace to blush.

"My fault, Logan. I brought Joshua with me...and, well, apparently she hadn't heard the bad news yet."

"Oh. I see." Logan sat back down and shook his head. "I guess it may be a while before she wants to talk to us then."

"We still brought these," Seth quickly offered, setting his knapsack down on Logan's desk. He didn't notice Logan's grimace as the pack upset Logan's neatly ordered pile of papers. "These are the notes that Marie said would be important."

"Oooh, great," Logan said, immediately forgetting about the piles as he reached for the sack. He was like a kid getting a Christmas present. He immediately started glancing through the papers and murmuring to himself, barely noticing when Max grabbed the bottom half of the stack and started looking through them too.

"Well, um, we'll just leave now," Syl suggested, giving the rest of them a conspiratorial wink. Somehow, the simple act of seeing these two eagerly going through the papers was like watching a couple make out. Awkward.

"Um, sure, ok," Max said, glancing up at them briefly. "See you guys later."

"Will do," Robin replied, feeling relieved. Now she could finally head to her apartment.

Or she would have if she hadn't been physically attacked by Gem. The red-headed X5 came out of nowhere, brandishing a ladle and wearing a camouflage-pattern apron. The scowl on her face made Robin shrink back into Seth and clutch Taylor closer to her chest.

"Where are Alec and Sidda?!" Gem demanded, raising the ladle as if she was going to hit them with it.

Seth cocked an eyebrow and put his hands on Robin's shoulders. "In Italy…"

"They didn't come back with you?" Gem snapped. She grabbed the ladle with both hands and twisted it, bending the metal without realizing it. "They're avoiding me, I know they are. Dalton's convinced them to stay in Italy, just so he doesn't have to come home and face me."

Robin gave Gem a tentative smile. "I'm certain they're taking good care of Dalton, Gem." While they had been in South Africa, the other teams had called in a few times, and Sidda had told Robin about Dalton's tag-along adventure.

Gem stared at Robin. "Maybe Sidda is, but Alec's there to."

"Dalton's so going to die," Syl said. Gem shot her such an evil look that Syl wrapped Krit's arm in hers and made a beeline for the door. "See you guys later!" she called back, avoiding Robin's gaze.

Sighing, Gem turned around and headed back toward the kitchen, her shoulders lowered. Seth and Robin exchanged looks before following her.

"I'm certain they'll come home soon," Robin reassured her.

Seth nodded. "He'll be fine, Gem. You know Syl was only teasing. She was built with a vicious streak."

"I know, I know," Gem said, "But that doesn't make me worry about him any less. He's just so…eager." She glanced up at Seth. "You know how he is."

"I do, but I also know he's a resourceful, smart kid," Seth said. "He'll come through this with a lot more experience. He's got good teachers, even if they are a little…"

"Unorthodox," Robin put in, "But they'd never let anything happen to him if they can help it."

"I just wish he'd call more," Gem said, "I mean, how hard is it to pick up a phone and dial a number?"

"He's probably afraid you'll yell at him," Seth said. When Gem glared at him, he smiled back at her. "You can be sort of scary when you're mad."

Gem huffed. "It keeps people in line, soldier." She pushed her short, red hair back behind her ears with her free hand. "Come on, let's get you guys something to eat. I know you're probably about to starve." They reached the mess hall and walked through the doors. A few people called out to them, but they passed through the crowd without having to stop.

It seemed that the rations weren't bad this week. There was lasagna, a few choices of canned vegetables and a barrel of apples. They sat down at a table to eat, and Gem sat with them.

"Where's Crystal?" Robin asked. Taylor was in Seth's lap, being fed from a bottle that Gem had gotten from the constant supply.

Gem smiled. "One of the X6s is babysitting. Max has actually set up a pretty good system with that. The X6 girls babysit while the X5 women do work, and that teaches the X6s that they should always get some kind of contraceptive while they're in heat." She laughed a little and sat back in her chair. "A few hours of taking care of a baby every other day is turning out to be a good deterrent for wild, unprotected sex."

"That's good," Seth said, shaking his head, "I guess we've found something better than regular contraceptives?"

Gem nodded. "Rhiannon and Trey got back last week with their scientist. He knew a few codes for some suppressant drug, so we've been working with that. Adenine's been in the lab since…I don't know, Wednesday? Locked herself in there, keeping herself hostage with the scientist. Ted Something-or-other. Pretty cute, actually, for an Ordinary."

Robin smirked. Maybe Adenine had a crush on the scientist. It'd be twisted, but she could see it happening. Weird relationships seemed to be a staple among transgenics.

"So, Gem, what's going on with the government?" Seth asked. Like all X5 guys, he didn't like to avoid a question.

"Oh, so you noticed them?"

"Sort of hard not to when they're pointing guns in your face," Robin grumbled.

Gem made a face. "Yeah, they're a little overzealous and paranoid. They get it from both sides, since they're sort of freaked out by us, but they're trying to protect us from the humans. Max tried to tell the suits that we could handle the gates on their own, but this is a goodwill gesture that we can't refuse."

"Good way to keep track on us too," Seth said, his eyes dark.

Gem smiled at him. "Don't get too upset. We still know more ways to get out of here than a tank has treads. Besides, I think they're starting to warm up to us."

"Did you send them special brownies?" Robin asked, amused.

Gem wrinkled her nose and put her hands on the table. "No, I didn't drug them. They're just talking to us now, about how we can manage the city, maybe work for them in exchange for this part of Seattle and a farm base out in the country. Small things but things that will make life easier for us. It's basically an exchange. Labor for the chance to live."

"Still the perfect little soldiers," Robin said, rolling her eyes.

"Has there been any talk about a registry?" Set asked, "It seems like that would be the best way to keep up with us."

Gem nodded. "Yeah, the government thinks we should have our own sector passes with our barcodes on them. They want to keep track of us, and let the public know that they know where we're at at all times."

"But that limits out freedom," Robin protested. She frowned and looked down at Taylor. She didn't want her child to have to join some registry system. Seth reached over and rubbed her arm gently.

"Small steps, Robin," he said, his voice soothing, "If we can at least get past this phase where everyone wants to kill us, I think we can eventually get to where we have almost the same freedom as everyone else."

"Still, it isn't fair to us," Robin said. Her eyes narrowed. "They created us, made us work for them and now they don't want to treat us like human beings?"

"We're not exactly human beings," Gem said, shrugging. "I guess they just don't think they owe us anything."

"Well, they do," Robin said. Heat flooded her chest at the thought of having to submit to the government again. She thought she had been done with that back when Manticore was destroyed.

Seth's hand caught hers. He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand, soothing her. She sighed. At least some things were better.

Gem smirked at her; she had obviously noticed Seth's gesture. Robin lowered her eyes and blushed. Well, now that they were back, it seemed like they were going to have to come clean about their relationship. Maybe they wouldn't be excruciatingly teased by everyone…

"Hey, what about that farm base you mentioned?" Seth asked, lifting his head. "What's that about?"

A true smile lightened Gem's face. "That's actually one of the best parts of this whole deal. In exchange for the registry, they've promised to give us our own farm out in the country. There won't be any surveillance on it, and if there is, we'll block it, and they're agreed not to disclose the location to the public. Max and Logan visited the property and they said it's really secluded."

"Sounds too good to be true," Robin said, suspicious of the gift.

"Well, it isn't perfect," Gem said, "There will be a couple farm houses and at least a hundred acres. It was abandoned during the Pulse, so no one has used it in a while. It'll need a lot of work, but everyone's been anxious to get out of the city and do something. We'll be able to grow some of our own supply and maybe eventually show people that we're not exactly evil Frankenstein types."

"We're sort of anti-Frankensteins, since our parts were put together before birth, not after death," Seth said. When Robin and Gem stared at him, he shrugged. "What? I read, on occasion."

Robin laughed and leaned her head against her shoulder. No, not everything was bad.

-----------------------------------

"Uncle Bobby is being way too compliant," Alec muttered, glancing over his shoulder. The scientist was sitting in the waiting area of gate A6 with Dalton watching him. Sidda and Alec had moved away so that they could discuss their plans without being overheard. "I just have trouble believing someone from Manticore was this easy to capture."

Sidda shrugged. "Well, he is a scientist, not a soldier. They're a little bit of a different breed."

"Well that's for sure." Alec frowned as he looked at Hayden. "Do you think we'll get that chubby when we're older?"

"Alec." Sidda rolled her eyes. "I seriously doubt it since we're supposed to spend all our lives as soldiers." She grinned playfully at him. "Of course, if you keep sitting around, watching TV and pigging out…"

Alec pulled her close and twirled one piece of her hair around his finger. "Hey, that only happens after a hard day's…or, well, night's work."

Sidda tugged the piece of hair back and smirked at him. "Mhmmm."

Alec frowned at her, and then looked up as the gate announced pre-boarding for their flight. "Well," he said, looking around, 'I guess we're going to get out of here ok after all."

Sidda nodded. "He probably just thought he was safer than he really was."

Suddenly, a soft beeping sound started. Both Sidda and Alec stiffened and looked at Hayden. He was busy with his watch, trying to turn the beeping off. Dalton was also staring at him curiously.

"He's sweating," Sidda observed calmly.

"Yeah, I know. He wasn't doing that before." Sidda and Alec moved toward Hayden, then stopped in front of him.

"Hey Uncle Bobby, let me help you with that watch," Alec said.

"Um, no, that's ok. I got it."

Sidda sat down next to Hayden. "No, I really don't think you do. " She started unstrapping the watch while Dalton held on to the man's arms to keep him from struggling. "I had better take a look at it."

Hayden paled as he watched Sidda examine his watch. "It's…it's new, I like to have alarms, I forgot…"

"You forgot to mute it," Sidda said flatly. She looked up at Alec. "It's a tracker."

"Shit." Alec took it and smashed it against the wall, then looked back down at Hayden. His eyes were cold and hard, and his jaw was set as if he was clenching his teeth. Wow, Sidda had rarely seen him looking like this…she had to admit, she found it kind of hot.

Alec leaned down close to Hayden. "I swear, if they find us…you'll pay for it."

"Alec," Sidda said quietly. Theatrics could come later, when they were safe.

Alec took a deep breath. "How long?" he asked Hayden, standing up again. At Hayden's confused look he added. "How long until they get here?"

Hayden looked absolutely terrified, which, he should be, considering that he had just got on the wrong side of a bunch of super-soldier transgenics. "Umm...uh…about five minutes," he hazarded.

Alec tensed and looked at Sidda. "We got to get on that plane now, before they show up."

Sidda nodded and gestured for Dalton to grab his bag. "Maybe if we press to the front of the line…" She looked back over her shoulder, checking to see if anyone was coming. No one yet. At least Sidda and Alec hadn't gotten the tickets that went straight to Portland. Instead they'd gone for Phoenix, just to give themselves a little distance from their actual location. If Hayden's lab knew anything about who might be out to get him, maybe they would check some of the flights going for more northern locations first.

Dalton went ahead of them and grabbed a place at the front of the line. When they joined him, they turned their backs to block Hayden from the view of anyone else in the airport while Dalton continued to keep a lookout.

"I can't believe you have a tracker," Alec said, restlessly shifting from side to side. "Do you like being so tied to your work?"

"It was for my protection," Hayden said, "It's only on when I turn it on."

"Sure it is," Sidda laughed, "Believe me, Hayden, if they have such an easy way to spy on you, they'll use it."

Alec grimaced. "You worked for Manticore, you should know that."

Hayden looked slightly uncomfortable. "I told you…"

"Yeah, yeah, you prefer to pretend nothing bad is happening." Alec shook his head. "What an idiot."

"Hey guys." Dalton nodded his head in the direction of A3. "There are some soldier types checking out the flight to Minnesota."

"Hayden…" Alec looked at the scientist, and guy looked away, refusing to meet Alec's gaze.

"Is there any way you can call them off?" he asked.

"Oh, well, if you'd wanted me to do that you should have mentioned it before you smashed my watch against the wall."

Sidda caught Alec's arm as he was about to cuff Hayden in the side of the head.

"Don't attract attention," she said quietly. Hayden was being cleverer than they had given him credit for. He'd figured out that Alec had a bit of a temper about being forced into a tight spot, and he was trying to use it to his advantage.

"I know, I know." Alec was still moving restlessly; he really wanted to get out of their cooped-up situation. "Hayden, you give a word of warning to them, I swear I'll make sure that you go down before I do."

Hayden rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

"Where are they now, Dalton?"

"A5. I think they're just going systematically through the airport."

'Wonderful." Sidda stood on her tiptoes to see where they were in the boarding process. The last of the families was getting on… maybe, just maybe they would make it without a confrontation. They really didn't want that.

"What type of soldiers do they look like?" Alec asked. "Human?"

"I don't think so," Dalton said slowly. "Or if they are…well, they're really buff. And there's something kind of mechanical about the way they move."

Alec and Sidda exchange glances; this was not sounding good. They both risked a glance over their shoulder, and sure enough, Dalton was right.

"Damn it," Alec said. "I think those are Reds. I hate the way they hire them out all over the place."

"Reds?" Dalton asked.

"Let's just say it's tough even for a Manticore soldier to beat them when they're in their prime," Sidda said. She glanced at Hayden. "You must be working for a pretty important company to have guards like those."

"Well, practically anywhere in Europe will pay better than a job in the US."

Frustrated, Alec rubbed at his face and then looked around. Okay, what did they have to work with here? The plane they were catching was boarding passengers A 1-30 right now. Their tickets were B 31-60. The Reds…Hell, the Reds were getting closer by the minute, and they didn't have time to think about it anymore. Their time was running out.

"Dalton, take him and get on the plane," Alec said. He grabbed Hayden's arm and hissed into his ear as he shoved him toward Dalton. "Make a noise, and I'll kill you right here."

Hayden only smiled at him as Dalton caught him. Alec felt like smacking that smirk off of the man's face, but he felt Sidda touch him on the arm, and the rage died down.

"Alec, they're not boarding us yet, it'll look suspicious if they go now," she cautioned.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Alec asked, "We can't just stand here, and if we try taking on the Reds, we'll lose."

"Well, then, he needs a reason for going on the plane…" Sidda looked at Alec for a moment and then without shifting her body too much, she shot out her fist and caught Hayden in the stomach. He would have doubled over if Dalton hadn't been holding him up. He grabbed at his stomach and immediately faded into a pale green-white color.

Sidda patted Hayden on the shoulder and then nodded to Dalton. "It looks like Uncle Bobby has a stomachache. He should probably go ahead and get on the plane. It'll calm his nerves."

"Got it," Dalton said, jerking his head in an affirmative bob.

"Don't hurry, don't call attention," Sidda hissed after him as he and Hayden started shuffling towards the gate. "If we don't catch this flight, stay in Phoenix. We'll meet you there."

"What are you doing, they're going to notice him," Alec said. Sidda was ignoring him; instead, she was looking around, scanning the crowd for who knows what. He grabbed her wrist, but she turned the move on him, whipping her hand around to hold his arm.

"Alec. I told you what I did back in Manticore. I'm wired to get out of situations where there is no way out," she said, shaking her head. "Just trust me, okay? I don't think I have time to explain everything."

Alec stared at her, hazel on hazel. Finally, he let go of her wrist, still frowning. He wasn't used to relying on other people, but she seemed more level-headed in this situation than he was, and if getting out of tight spots was her specialty… He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "All right. Fine."

Sidda kissed him quickly and then led him toward a middle-aged man who waiting in the intersection of various terminals. He was standing alone, holding the handle of his rolling bag and looking impatient. Sidda walked up to him and took him by the arm.

"Hello, sir," she said, her face a serious mask. "Please come with us. You've been screened as a possible risk. Nothing serious, just a search, and you're free to go."

He tried to yank away from her iron grip, his eyes wide. "I haven't done anything."

"It's a simple search, sir, but you'll have to stay calm," Sidda said. She pulled him gently away from the rest of the crowd while he tried to stand his ground. Alec could feel adrenaline surging through his veins as he closed in on the man's other side.

"You're not airport security," he said, scowling at them and trying to get away, "Release me."

"We're plainclothes homeland security," Sidda replied. "Don't struggle." She and Alec were now pulling him away, making quite the scene. Just like Sidda had hoped, this guy was putting up a fight. It had caught the Reds attention, and they were heading their way.

"Hurrying up would be a good idea," Alec growled, not knowing whether he was talking to Sidda or the man that he now realized looked marginally like Hayden.

"I think you're right," Sidda said. She gave the guy a vicious smile. "Sorry, sir, but this is going to hurt."

The man did a double-take at the look on the X5's faces, his own growing pale with worry. Sidda and Alec took that moment to grab his arms and dash forward through the crowd, practically dragging him behind them as they started to blur. He let out a shout, calling even more attention to their exit. The Reds thundered behind them, muscle-bound legs pumping.

Speed was on the X5s' side, but they were carrying the man between them and now he was struggling hard. Alec reached over and knocked the back of his hand against the guy's head. He slumped forward, dead weight between them now.

Sidda pulled the man to the right, and Alec turned, following her lead and hoping he had made a good decision to trust her. They were far away from A6 now, moving through the C terminals, but the Reds were gaining on them. Luckily, they were slowed down by airport traffic.

Sidda took a sharp left, a right and then they were at the door of a utility room. Without really thinking about it, Alec slammed his foot into the door, and it burst open, the metal locks completely sheered. Sidda tossed him an impressed look before she entered, pulling the man with her.

"All right, there's a back exit, can you go open it?" Sidda asked as she sat the unconscious man down. He groaned and lifted his hands to his head, so Sidda hit him again while Alec hurried to the back of the room. Sure enough, there was a slim door. He yanked on the door, breaking the lock, and opened it. It led to a small service hallway. One eyebrow raised, he turned back to look at Sidda.

"How did you know this was here?"

She gave a dry half-smile. "Training for Italy was…very intensive and very extensive."

Alec smirked. "Understood."

"We should be able to drop him and get back to our terminal right before the plane leaves if we follow the right back passage ways. We'll just tell them we were delayed." Pushing her hair back from her face, she dashed over to him. "Let's go." She darted out the door. "Come on, Alec!"

Alec slammed the door behind him and smirked. Commanding women were sort of fun.

-----------------------------

"I almost feel sorry for that old guy," Sidda said as they slowed down at one of the doors in the service tunnel. To her approximation, this was probably close A6.

"Why?" Alec asked, "'Cause you conked him out after he'd already been hit once?" He grinned as she rolled her eyes at him. "Well, you did…"

"No, dork, that was necessary. He just has to meet up with those Reds, and I don't know how long it'll take before they let him go. He'll probably miss his flight."

"Yeah, meeting up with Reds does suck…especially when they're not happy with you."

They stepped back into the Terminal, glancing around to see if any of the Reds had lingered there. Nope. Luckily the Reds weren't always the most brilliant. As soon as they were sure they'd found their target, they'd taken off.

"Do you think Dalton is okay?" Sidda asked quietly as they quickly moved through the crowd toward their gate. "If any Reds made it aboard…"

"I'm sure we distracted them in time," Alec said, "They weren't looking for a kid and his grandpa."

"True." Sidda wanted to believe he was right. Well, the sooner they got on the plane the sooner they would find out. "Hey, they're boarding the C's, we better hurry," she said, pushing through the crowds a bit more.

"No." Alec grabbed her arm and pulled her back to his side. "We don't want to hurry."

Sidda nodded. Anxiety for Dalton was keeping her tense, and she couldn't help looking around, checking for Reds. None nearby yet. But it wouldn't take long for them to find the old man and then discover that he wasn't Hayden.

Alec slipped his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Come on, schnookims, let's play happy couple."

"Schnookims?" Sidda laughed. "Are you trying to make me relax or did you just want an excuse to feel me up?" she asked as Alec's thumb made circles on the outside of her hand.

"Both?"

Sidda shook her head, but what he was doing actually helped a bit. They both looked happy and relaxed by the time they got to the gate.

"Sorry, we had to go to the bathroom." Sidda smiled apologetically as she handed the tickets over to the harassed looking gate attendant. She smirked at Alec. "He gets nervous before flying, and well, you know…"

"Love, don't tell the nice man all the boring details about us that he doesn't want to know," Alec said through gritted teeth. His grip on her hand would have broken a normal person's bones.

The attendant gave them an awkward smile. "Um, no, it's ok. Go ahead." They passed her and went into the tunnel-like contraption that led to the plane. Sidda grinned up at Alec.

"But sweetie-kins, that attendant was so nice, I'm sure she didn't mind hearing about your little issue…" Sidda burst into laughter at the strained look on Alec's face.

"It's a good thing you're not with someone who actually has a bathroom problem. I would feel very sorry for them."

"If you actually had a bathroom problem…I think I would die laughing." She leaned against Alec. "There you go, you could make me die happy."

"That's the goal." Alec shook his head and smiled down at Sidda. He liked the feel of her hand in his, of her arm pressed against his. Terminal City was going to seem so much better when he got back…

They quickly found their seats, which luckily meant moving past Dalton and Hayden and going toward the back of the plane. A quick whispered conversation with Dalton established that no Reds had followed them on. As long as they took off before the Reds figured out what gate they had come from, they were in the clear. Well, everyone except Hayden. The fact that Hayden was looking extremely pissed off did more than anything else to reassure Sidda. She was pretty sure now that Hayden didn't have anything else up his sleeve.

"Man, that guy is annoying," Alec said as they took their seats. "I hope I don't have to see him much back in Terminal City.

"No, that will probably be mostly Max's job," Sidda said. Her hands stilled as she remembered why they had come to fetch Hayden in the first place. Max…the girl that Alec was supposedly supposed to be with back at Manticore. Sidda looked out the window.

She and Alec had talked about it a bit, how it was weird that a lot of the people who had been paired off by Manticore had ended up together. Like Robin and Seth, from what Robin had told her over the phone. But what did that mean for Max and Alec? Why weren't they together or into each other? If Max actually wasn't meant to be Alec's breeding partner, like Alec had been told, then who was? What if some other girl showed up and…

Stop, she told herself firmly. It didn't matter right now. If that was the case, then she'd enjoy being with Alec until that happened. And maybe this would turn out to just be a fling anyway. But deep down, she was pretty sure that wasn't the case. If it turned out to be a fling for Alec, it wouldn't ever be one for Sidda. She would pretend, for dignity's sake, but it would hurt.

Unless random guy came along or something for her…

But no. If that was going to happen, Sidda was pretty sure she would've already met random guy by now.

Tired of obsessing over thoughts way too emotionally charged, Sidda looked at Alec again. "I wonder if dinner will be good?"

"I don't know," Alec said, "But don't get the meat choice, whatever it is. It does funny things to a guy…."

Sidda gave him a huge grin. "So you do have bathroom problems when you fly."

"Haha, Sidda," he said, rolling his eyes as he grabbed her arm and pulled her close. She sighed with contentment as she rested against his shoulder. She would worry about random guy later.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thank you, 452max, sango32510, nattylovesu, Marcus Sylenus, Sandra, Winchester girl, Unknown x5, Alexa, Deanna and Allie for reviewing! Love you all!!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Chapter 25

Max wanted nothing more than to reach up and massage her temples, but she didn't want to show weakness in front of the suits. This meeting was giving her a massive headache. Across the table from her, the feds and the military personnel that the White House had sent were sitting still while their spokesman, Agent Johnson from Homeland Security, went over the last few details that they had been debating for the past few weeks.

"…mandatory registry of all transgenics until further notice, Terminal City passes for each of those registered. After the six month grace period, any unregistered transgenics come under the jurisdiction of the U.S. government. All transgenics found without proper identification after the six month grace period, whether registered or not, will be brought directly to a government facility. Terminal City governing personnel will be notified of all transgenics in federal custody…"

Max's hands tightened into fists. This was a part of the agreement that she hadn't liked. Even with the six month grace period, it was unlikely that they would be able to locate and fill out all the paperwork for the transgenics who had not come to Terminal City. And if someone got caught without an I.D…

"A farm will be rewarded for the use of transgenics…"

Much better part of the agreement. The farm was a definite fixer-upper, but it would give the transgenics something to do, and everyone was ready to get out of the city. They were always asking her if they could leave yet, though luckily some wanted to stay in the city and keep working on its up-keep. The plan was to always have at least half the population in Terminal City. Maybe they would start some sort of lottery to see who could go to the farm.

Someone knocked on the door. Max raised her head, curious. She had told everyone not to disturb the meeting basically on the point of death.

The door opened, revealing Everett. The male transgenic nodded to the suits and then looked at Max. "Sorry, Max, but you might want to come see this."

"Right now?" Max asked, her eyebrow raising.

Everett nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Max turned to the suits. "It seems like something has come up. I shouldn't be gone long." She looked over at Logan, Mole, Seth and Rhiannon who were also at the meeting and on the transgenics' side. "You can carry on without me."

"We'll wait for you," Agent Johnson said, looking slightly peeved.

Max hurried out of the room and closed the door behind her. "What is it?" she demanded.

"Can't tell you," Everett responded. Now that they were away from the feds, he relaxed, an easy-going grin lighting his face. Well, he was happy about something.

Max gave him a dead-pan stare. "It was important enough to pull me out of the last meeting with the suits. Now what is it?"

He smiled at her. "Our Italian friends are home."

"They are?" Max asked eagerly. She glanced back at the door to the conference room, duty warring with need.

Everett laughed at the dilemma so clearly written on Max's face. "They're right in the main room of HQ. You could probably pop in there to say hi to them real quick, then be back here in no time."

Max nodded and blurred toward the main room before Everett was able to get another word in. With the Italian geneticist…well, they hopefully had everyone now. As soon as they got Marie settled in, maybe…just maybe they could start finding the cure.

"Sidda, Alec!" Max had never been so happy to see that arrogant boy in her life. She actually hugged him before turning to Sidda to give her a hug as well.

"Where's Dalton?" she asked, alarmed at his absence. Gem would kill her if anything had happened to him. In fact, she'd probably kill Alec and Sidda too.

"Don't worry, Gem's already gotten a hold of him," Sidda said.

Alec rolled his eyes. "She's been stalking us since we got back from Italy, calling us every hour or so."

Sidda looked at him and laughed. "At least our phone batteries ran out halfway here."

"I don't know about 'at least'…she was pretty furious when we got here and hadn't returned any calls for several hours."

"Yeah, well, she took it out on Dalton. And I do not feel sorry for that kid," Sidda said grimly. Alec nodded in agreement.

Max watched the casual interplay between the two of them, the way they kept looking at each other and joking with each other and whatnot. Max hadn't ever seen Alec looking so relaxed and open. Max thought about Robin and Seth, and suddenly wondered if something had happened between Alec and Sidda. Maybe going on missions brought people together. Whatever it was, if it made Alec less of an ass, Max was all for it.

"So...umm…" Max looked around, trying to see if there was a random scientists walking around anywhere. "Hayden?"

"Is in protective custody already," Sidda said. She grimaced. "Sorry, Max, but we were only too happy to get rid of that guy."

Alec snorted at Max's confused look. "I know you think I'm a jerk sometimes, but that guy makes me look like your best friend next to him. He's been nothing but a pain since we got him."

"What happened?" Max asked.

"Well, first he had a tracker on him back in Italy," Alec said.

"Then he made a phone call from the plane. He was supposed to be using the bathroom and he told some random passenger that his phone didn't work," Sidda said.

"We didn't stop him early enough, so we had some fun when we arrived," Alec said, glaring to the right. Max assumed that Hayden had left through the doorway over there.

"And then on the way here, everywhere we stopped he was trying to escape, or grab a phone or something," Sidda added.

"Yeah, keep him away from phones," Alec said, "For some reason he seems to think coming to Terminal City is a death sentence for him."

"Well, I suppose he knows that we aren't particularly fond of his sort here," Max said, "Except when we need them."

"Well, he better hope that he remains useful," Alec said, "because the day he doesn't…"

"Payback time!" Sidda said happily.

Max smiled at them. "Well, I better get back to the meeting we're in with the government…I don't know if you two heard, but we're about ready to close the deal. We won't be targeted by the government anymore, and, oddly enough, they threw in a farm."

"A farm?" Sidda asked, surprised. "Like in the country?"

"Like in the country," Max said happily. "Ask Robin and Seth, they'll fill you in on the details. They've both already been out to see it. But I gotta run, catch you later!"

Sidda and Alec stared as Max ran back down the hallway to where the meeting was. "Wow," Sidda said, looking at Alec. "A farm."

"That's not random at all." He rolled his eyes, and Sidda punched him playfully in the side.

-------------------------------------------

"Is it going to kill you to sit down for two minutes?" Seth asked. He was sitting on the couch in Robin and Sidda's apartment with Taylor in his lap. The half-dressed baby was giggling as her father played with her, tickling her bare stomach. Robin, however, hadn't been able to relax the entire day. She was too busy straightening the apartment, putting things in order, airing out Sidda's unused bedroom. She didn't even know why she was doing it; she had just woken up with the urge to clean the whole apartment. And it was sort of driving Seth crazy.

She put down the rag she had been using to get the grime off the stove top and looked at Seth, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry, Seth. I don't really know why I'm like this today."

"It's okay," Seth said, "I was just worried you were going to scrub a hole into the stove." His easy grin had her smiling back at him.

"The stove's pretty hardy, thank you," she said as she walked out from the kitchen and into the living area. "A couple of highly skilled, brilliant X5s picked it up last week."

Seth cocked a teasing eyebrow. "Did they drag it through the sewers because the uniforms at the gate would've stopped their U-Haul but someone just had to have a brand new stove?"

"Mmhmm," Robin said, grinning at him.

"Were they wearing all black?"

"Of course not," she said, sitting down beside him on the couch, "Wouldn't want to call attention to themselves, walking around in cat suits." She nestled herself into his side. "Did I tell you thank you for that?"

"Next time you want a stove, I think I'll just make you one," Seth said. He kissed her cheek. "It'll be easier."

Robin laughed and reached over to take Taylor from him, shifting the baby to the crook of her arm. Taylor cooed and grabbed for Robin's long hair. "You know, I was thinking about getting a dishwasher."

"Robin—"

A knock on the door made both of them look up. Robin glanced at Seth. She hadn't been expecting anyone, but with the suits here today and people getting ready to go out to the farm to start renovations, it could have been anyone.

"Come in!" Robin called, but at the same time the door opened.

"I can't believe you knocked on your own door," Alec said, shaking his head as he walked into the apartment as if he and Sidda had just been gone a couple hours instead of a month. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder and that cocky smirk on his face. Italy obviously hadn't humbled him in any way. He grinned at Robin and Seth and then nodded toward the fridge. "Hey, you guys stocked on food? I've been craving corn dogs like you wouldn't believe."

"You are a corn dog," Sidda exclaimed as she came in after him. Wrinkled blue jeans, scuffed boots, a tired but relaxed look on her face. "And how am I supposed to know what Robin and Seth are doing in here while I'm gone?" She put her backpack down by the door, looked around the spotless apartment before tossing a smile at Robin and Seth. "I guess you're just playing house."

Robin was off the couch and hugging her friend in a matter of seconds. "Why didn't you call? You could've called, Sidda, I would've made dinner, Seth got me a stove!" Neither of them gushed about how much they missed the other; it was understood.

"We would've called, but the phone died, and that was actually a good thing," Sidda said. She gasped as she looked down at Taylor. "She's so big, what've you been feeding her? Hey, pretty baby…" She took Taylor from Robin and cradled her close. "Look at you, Miss Priss, you're even more adorable."

Alec glanced over at Seth over the top of the fridge door that he had opened in search of food. "Are they done with the talking-so-fast-I-can't-understand phase yet?"

Seth swayed his head toward the two women and then looked back at Alec. "Yeah, I think they've moved on to look-at-the-cute-baby stage of the welcome home ceremony."

"I like that one better. Less screaming," Alec said. He closed the fridge door with his elbow as he resurfaced with a jar of grape jelly and a loaf of bread. Putting it on the counter-top, he turned around and started searching purposefully through the cabinets.

"Peanut butter is above the stove," Sidda said as she sat down on the love seat, still holding Taylor. She smirked over at Alec, and the grin he threw back at her seemed to have a lot more layers than just playfulness, or so Robin thought. She lifted her eyebrows at Sidda in question.

"I memorized where you put the peanut butter, no big deal," she said, ignoring what Robin was really asking, and as retaliation, she flicked her eyes at Seth. "So, do I need to move out and give you guys some more space?"

"No, no, you're fine," Robin said, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

--------------------------------------------------

"Who's the man, who's the man!?" Gem rolled her eyes as Dalton pranced around holding up a case of beer. Gem hadn't liked the idea of Dalton going with Alec to get alcohol, but as Max had pointed out, she couldn't keep Dalton at her side anymore. Dalton had learned a lot of independence going off to Italy, and he would be only too ready to go off again if he felt cooped up.

But Gem just wasn't ready to let him go quite yet.

Alec shook his head at Gem, long-suffering on his face, as he set a good number of the cases on the table.

"Oh, you know you love having him as your tagalong," Gem teased the X5.

Alec glanced at the young X6 who was surrounded by a small group of his friends. Some were questioning him about Italy, others were throwing him slightly jealous looks.

"We need to come up with more for them to do. Being told they're free and then being stuck here…"

Gem sighed. "I know. Max and I are hoping that the hard work at the farm will at least distract them for a month or two. And then we can send them on some of the easier missions the government gives us."

"Good idea." Alec grinned and handed Gem a beer. "Lighten up, it's party time, Gem. Things are lookin' up for us."

"Yes, and you're over here chatting like an old man." Sidda grinned at Alec and tugged playfully on his free hand. "Logan's about to play some music, come on, I want to dance." She gave Gem an apologetic look. "If you don't mind, of course."

"Not at all," Gem smiled. "In fact, dancing sounds like a very good idea." Music was already starting to blast out over the speakers, though Gem wasn't sure the song would stay the same for long. Max and Logan seemed to be having an argument about what types of songs would be best for the party.

Sidda pulled Alec onto the dance floor and then stole his beer and took a swig before handing it back to him. "Thanks."

Alec chuckled and put his free hand on her waist, pulling her close to him. "Like I had much of a choice."

"Glad to see you're starting to understand how life works around here," Sidda said. She gave him a mischievous smile and pulled him even closer as they continued to move to the music. "But it's not all bad, is it?' she asked innocently.

Alec grinned. "No, definitely not."

---------------

"Goodness, I'm glad they set up a daycare," Robin said, entering through the doorway. Seth's hand was clasped around hers, and he gave her an easy smile. "Yeah, as good a kid as Taylor is, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have been happy about the loud music."

They both glanced up as the song changed to a new one right in the middle of it, and they shared knowing looks. Max and Logan probably disputing over song choice.

"Hey look, Alec and Sidda are already dancing," Robin said, waving to her friends. She turned and gave Seth a suggestive look.

"I don't know if I even remember how to dance…"

"Oh, come on. You're part cat. It won't take you long to get into the rhythm of the song." And it didn't. Robin shivered with delight as Seth's powerful arms wrapped around her. She splayed one hand against his well-muscled chest, enjoying the way she could feel him picking up the rhythm of the music.

Sidda and Alec maneuvered their way across the dance floor to get to Robin and Seth.

"What'd you do with Taylor?" Sidda asked, eyebrows raised. It was unusual to see Robin without the child.

"We put her in the daycare," Robin said.

"After I promised her we'd check in on Taylor every hour," Seth teased Robin. Robin blushed and hid her face against Seth's shoulder as Sidda laughed.

"I have a right to be paranoid," she said in a muffled voice. "Things happen to transgenics."

"Yes, love, especially in Terminal City," Seth said.

Robin glared up at him. "You never know what could happen."

"Yeah, Seth," Sidda said with a grin, "Some vile, evil person could sneak all the way in here, grab just Taylor, and run away with her to use for their vile purposes." Alec spun Sidda away as Robin tried to playfully hit her friend.

"I'll get you back later," Robin called after her. Sidda just smirked and turned her attention back to Alec.

Up above, Logan watched the dancers below. Max was leaning very close as she debated with him about music choices. Logan shifted uncomfortably, feeling the heat between him and Max. Soon…maybe soon he would be able to dance with her without thinking about every step, worrying if they were standing too close or if her hair might brush his skin.

"I think we have a chance this time," Max said suddenly. Logan looked up at her, wondering if she was reading his mind.

"A chance?"

Max smiled and looked at the dancers as well. "Of fixing this. Getting rid of the virus. Making things…well, as normal as they can be."

"That's all you ever wanted, isn't it? Logan asked. "A normal life."

Max chuckled and looked down at her hands. "For a while, yeah. But who was I kidding? People like us… we don't get normal lives." She grinned at Logan. "That includes you, in case you think I was only talking about transgenics. Though if you didn't insist on always being so noble…"

"What can I say? I like to put myself and deadly situations."

"Yeah, hanging around in a biohazard wasteland with government experiments? Yeah, I'd say so."

Logan reached out and curled his gloved fingers around her own gloved hand. "It's worth it."

Max smiled at him and then pulled upward on his hand. "Come on, leave the music. Let's go have some fun. Celebrate a truce with the government."

"It's just a truce," he reminded her.

Max gave him an exasperated look. "Logan."

"I know, I know." He stood up.

"I promise I won't get too close during the fast dances if you're worried," Max said, "As long as you dance with me during the slow ones."

Logan squeezed her hand. "That's all I wanted."


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel so don't sue me. Thanks. :-)

A/N: Thanks to Marcus Sylenus, Stargate fan, X5 416, 452max, nattylovesu, and Peaslums for reviewing!

**Ex Multus Familia**

Epilogue

_One Month Later_

Robin leaned against the main farm house's porch railing, her back against one of the newly crafted wooden beams, her arms folded over her chest. The early summer sun was high overhead, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Behind her, rock and roll music from before the Pulse was drifting out of the open windows of the farm house, lifting everyone's moods as they painted in time with the beat of the songs. Robin was currently baby-free; Taylor was asleep in the kitchen, sharing a baby bassinet with Gem's daughter, Crystal.

"What is he doing?" Robin asked as looked out through the fields and toward the path that led through the woods. About an hour ago, Seth had disappeared down that path with Logan, Alec and Everett in tow.

Behind her Max, Syl and Sidda shared a conspiratorial look. The group of X5 females was dutifully painting the front of the house, so all of them were covered in splashes of white paint. The back of Syl's light blue shirt was decorated with a huge white 'X' while Sidda had a bright white stripe in her hair; they had gotten into a fight earlier, and now they were both sporting punishment.

"What're you talking about, Robin?" Max asked. She walked over to the porch steps and put her hands on her hips, carefully pointing the paintbrush away from herself.

"Seth," Robin answered, throwing a hand out toward the forest path, "He's being acting really weird lately."

"He's a guy," Syl cut in, "I mean, look at the male race. Seth is one of them, so logically he's always going to act weird."

"Seriously," Sidda added. She jumped up and sat down on the new railing and crossed her legs. "And if you really want a weird guy, look at Krit. He's as odd as they come."

"You're so funny, Sidda," Syl replied, making a face. She reached out to tap the other X5 with her paint-roller, but Sidda fended her off with the wide brush she was using.

"Hey, let's try to get more paint on the house than each other, okay?" Max said. She shook her head and smirked as Syl and Sidda both gave her innocent looks. Max stepped over beside Robin. "It's probably nothing, you know, guy stuff."

"Yeah, I know, but he won't even talk to me about it," Robin said. She sighed and walked back over to the house, brandishing her paint brush like a weapon. She started slathering the boards with wide but controlled swathes of bright white, attacking the house with paint.

The screen door creaked open, and Joshua walked out, a half-eaten apple pie in his hands. He went wide-eyed when he saw Max and the other X5 women. Wildly, he tried to hide the apple pie behind his back. "Hey, little fella and everybody! Nice painting, good job."

"Joshua, is that one of the apple pies Gem was making for dinner?" Max asked, pointing her paint brush toward him.

Joshua shook his head vigorously. "Nuh-uh. Joshua has not seen any apples or pies, and not together. Nope."

Syl, who was standing behind Joshua, darted forward and snatched the apple pie from his hands. "Then what's this, Underdog?" She held the apple pie under Joshua's nose. The transhuman involuntarily sniffed at it, his eyes staying on the juicy, flaky, still-warm pie. He grabbed it back from Syl and held it out to Max.

"Ooo! Look, Max, an apple pie!" Joshua exclaimed. He smiled at Max, using that puppy dog charm that worked so well on the transgenic leader.

Max took it from him, half-smiling. "Yep, this looks like one of Gem's. Did you steal it from the kitchen?"

Robin suddenly put down her paint brush on the window sill and stared at the others. "What if he's with another girl?"

"Joshua not with any girl," Joshua said. He tilted his head to the side and gave Robin a confused look. Syl started giggling uncontrollably, which only confused Joshua more.

"Robin, are you serious?" Sidda asked, "Like Seth would ever do that." She slid off the porch railing and walked over to wall, snagging the apple pie from Max and handing back to Joshua on the way. She grinned cheekily at Max. "He already ate half of it; he's a growing artist."

"If he gets any taller, we'll have to warn the air traffic controllers," Syl muttered, glancing up at the giant transhuman.

Joshua shrugged. "Being big is helpful. Reach cans on top shelf. Dust high places."

Max patted Joshua on the arm. "That's right, big fella. You're really useful." Joshua beamed at her praise.

"But what if he was," Robin said. Her gaze darted around the others, looking for reassurance. "I mean, Seth could be with someone else, he's not tied to me or anything."

"Is Robin worried?" Joshua asked, looking down at the X5.

"Ridiculously so," Syl said. She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Really, Robin, you're the last person who needs to worry about their man running off. Seth hasn't even realized that other girls exist since you showed up." She turned back to the wall and started painting again. "It's sorta weird, actually."

"Does Robin need pie?" Joshua held out the half-eaten pie to Robin. Robin stared at the pie before turning her glare back to the forest.

Sidda grinned and shook her head. "Nah, it's okay, Josh. I don't think pie is the answer to this one."

Joshua pulled the pie into his chest. He stared at Sidda. "Pie fixes everything." He retreated to the porch swing and started pawing through the pie, sticking his fingers into the pie tin and then into his mouth.

"But that doesn't mean everything's okay," Robin said. She nibbled on her bottom lip and whirled back toward the house, snatching up her paint brush. She started attacking the house again, her paintbrush rushing up and down and side to side and splattering paint everywhere. "I mean, it's not like I'm worried about it, really, or anything, and he can do that if that's what he wants, but I wish he'd tell me."

"Calm down, chica," Max said, her eyebrows knitting together, "Trust me. Seth is _not_ seeing anyone else."

"Quite the opposite, actually," Syl said. Max and Sidda both shot her silencing glares, which Syl ignored.

Robin, however, wasn't convinced. "It's just, he's been a little distant lately."

"I think you're hallucinating," Sidda said. "Because if I remember correctly, when we were in T.C., he was in the apartment so much that I thought I had a new roommate. And you guys share a room here." They had come out to the farm about two weeks ago to start hardcore renovations. A lot of the place was looking better already, even if half of the population was camping out in tents instead of houses since they were still building the other farm houses.

Robin blushed and kept painting. "Yeah, but, it's, I don't know, it's like he doesn't want to tell me something. I just think he's hiding something from me."

"What if he's hiding a good thing?" Syl asked.

"Like pie," Joshua piped up.

"I don't think he's hiding pie," Max said, glancing at Joshua admonishingly, "But Syl's right, what if it is a good thing?"

"You don't hide good things," Robin said. She sighed. "I just wish he'd tell me."

"Well, here he comes, so why don't you ask him?" Sidda said. She gestured toward the path that led to the forest. Seth and the other guys were walking out the woods, Seth in the lead with a long and purposeful stride.

"He'll tell me when he feels like it," Robin said, shaking her head.

"Something tells me that he's going to feel like it," Max said. Robin turned to glance at her, but the transgenic leader was engrossed in painting the house and wouldn't turn to look back at her.

Robin changed her grip on her paintbrush and went back to painting so she was being useful when Seth walked up onto the porch, his footfalls light on the steps. She felt him walk up behind her and then his hands were on her waist. "Hey, Robin."

"Hey," she said, her voice sounding more stressed than she had wanted.

Seth must have noticed because when he turned her around to face him, he looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, definitely," Robin said. She flashed him a half-hearted smile and played with the paintbrush in her hands.

Seth nodded and smiled at her. He reached out, plucked the paint brush from her hands and set it down on the windowsill. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

'Okay…"

"A long walk!" Sidda exclaimed from where she was standing, Alec standing at her side with a smirk on his face. He winked at Robin.

Robin raised her eyebrows at Seth, but he just pulled her down the steps headed off around the house and toward the woods in the backyard. In companionable silence, they walked into the woods, Seth's hand tight around Robin's. He led her through the forest, sunlight streaming in to dapple the forest floor with patches of light.

They came out of the forest at a small, mossy area beside the river, right were the short waterfall the X6s had discovered a couple weeks ago. It was a natural waterfall that dipped into a wide pool surrounded by large rocks that people could sit or lay on. It was one of the prettiest places on the farm, and it was usually crowded with transgenics trying to escape from chores or just relaxing beside the cool water and letting the waterfall mist splash their faces. Today, however, the place was deserted. It was yet another thing that told Robin that something weird was going on here.

When they stopped, Robin pulled her hand out of Seth's and crossed her arms. "Look, whatever you have to say to me, please, just get it out now, so we can talk about it." She couldn't stop herself, she had to say something.

Seth looked surprised, but he could not have possibly matched Robin's surprised and confused expression when he dropped to one knee in front of her. "All right, then, I wasn't expecting that, but…" He took Robin's hand in his.

"Robin, forgive my sappiness in advance, but I have to say this. Ever since the day I met you, yes, since Manticore, I've been in love with you. I couldn't get you out of my head, and when you showed up in Terminal City with Taylor, it was like someone had finally given me something good in my life."

He locked his gaze with hers, his brilliant blue eyes warm and sincere. Robin felt her chest constricting with pure excitement, and she gripped his hand so tight she thought she was going to break it. "I never tell you enough, but I love you, Robin, and I love our daughter. I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my mate. That is, if you'll have me." He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out something small and silver. It was a ring, an elegant silver band with three small diamonds in it. "It's not much, but it's what I could afford.' He smiled up at her as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "Robin, will you marry me?"

The answer exploded out of her almost before he finished the question. "Yes!" Robin dropped to her knees and tackled him with a hug, crying and smiling all at once. Laughing, he slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her, their lips meeting with sweet perfection. "Of course I'll marry you!"

_**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE**_: All right, so this first part of the story is finished! The first chapter of the next part will be posted next week. There's a lot more of Sidda and Alec's relationship, Robin and Seth's wedding and life as newly weds, Krit and Syl's wackiness, and Logan and Max's twisted relationship. Make sure to keep a look out for it!!


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